Cristiano Ronaldo's private jet delayed after bodyguard involved in airport spat

One of Cristiano Ronaldo's bodyguards has reportedly been involved in a Spanish airport spat said to have led to the intervention of police and a half-hour delay for the footballer's £20m private jet.

Menorca's daily newspaper said the Manchester United forward's minder got upset about being asked to wait after making an airport scanner go off with his splinted finger as he went through a VIP passenger check.

The newspaper claimed the bodyguard had "raised his voice and gesticulated violently" before walking through the airport security arch without being searched despite warnings from security personnel they would call the police.

Menorca's report added: "The bodyguard blurted out he had been a police officer in Portugal and they could call who they wanted. The police managed to pacify the situation and the plane left at least half an hour late."

Although the bodyguard wasn't named, the description given by local press pointed to it being one of the two identical twins the footballer employs to watch his back.

Ronaldo, who is expected to return to Manchester for pre-season training on Monday was described as a bystander who looked "serious" but was not involved in any way in the incident. The 37-year-old's representative has been approached for comment, although there is no suggestion the five-times Ballon d'Or winner did anything wrong or acted inappropriately.

It is unclear if the finger splint his minder was said to have been wearing came from an injury related to the car crash last week in which one of Ronaldo's aides smashed up his £1.7m Bugatti Veyron.

Police have confirmed an employee of Ronaldo's, thought to have been one of his bodyguards, was driving the sports car when it came off the road and smashed into a stone wall protecting a house near the footballer's Majorca holiday home just before midday on June 20. The Bugatti was one of two cars the dad-of-five had ferried over to Majorca for his sunshine break.

Cristiano was reportedly in another vehicle in a small convoy with his loved ones when his employee came off the road after they left their rented family home for a day out and is said to have ordered other staff to remain at the scene while they continued their journey. The badly-damaged Bugatti was later driven away on a tow-truck under a blue tarpaulin.

The owner of the house hit by Ronaldo's sports car subsequently said Ronaldo had pledged to pay for the damage.

The unnamed homeowner revealed he was promised compensation after turning up at the striker's rented mansion to try to speak to him. He also said that he feared his pet dog had been killed in the accident and had been left "shaking with fear" by the smash.