Story of Ronaldo's hotel converting into a hospital proves false

Cristiano Ronaldo's hotels in Portugal are not being converted into a makeshift hospital to deal with the coronavirus crisis, contrary to worldwide reports.

Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during a Juventus match Source: Getty Images

It was widely reported on Sunday (AEDT) that Ronaldo’s hotels were set to be transformed into a hospital and all care would be paid for by the Juventus forward. 

However, this was eventually denied by a spokesperson for the hotel after they were called by Dutch outlet RTL Nieuws.

“We are a hotel. We are not going to be a hospital. It is a day like everyone else, we are and will remain a hotel. We are being phoned by the press. I wish you a nice day,” the spokesperson said. 

Ronaldo, nor his representatives, have commented on the matter, with the Portuguese superstar’s only public comments urging everyone to follow the guidelines set up by the World Health Organization. 

"It is important we all follow the advice of WHO (World Health Organization) and the governing bodies on how we handle this current situation. Protecting human life must come above any other interests,” he said. 

It’s not the first time that a football ‘feel-good’ story has gone viral but proved false. 

Ronaldo himself has been incorrectly linked multiple times to donation stories, including false reports regarding the Kerala flood disaster, Palestinians after Ramadan and relief for Nepal after a 2015 earthquake. 

Lionel Messi was reported to have been paying over $6 million (AUD) to help former teammate Ronaldinho get out of a Paraguayan jail - his team denied it when asked. 

In 2016, after the tragic Chapecoense plane crash, it was widely shared on social media that Ronaldinho and Juan Roman Riquelme were coming out of retirement to play for the Brazilian side, it was evidently false. 

In 2019, reports circulated that Fiorentina were paying the family of Davide Astori his salary for the rest of their lives after Astori died unexpectedly of a heart attack.

While the club set up a trust fund, the story of his salary being paid to them for their lifetimes was false. 

While there is no doubt that players and teams are often charitable in times of need, many stories are often circulated before they are fact-checked.