Mason Greenwood Faces Backlash as Man U Stars Unfollow Him, Nike Suspends Deal & Fans Return Shirts
11:34 GMT 01.02.2022 (Updated: 11:44 GMT 10.12.2022)
© REUTERS / Ian Walton
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Man United forward Mason Greenwood was arrested on charges of rape and sexual assault on Sunday after a woman posted a series of pictures and videos on social media, indicating physical violence. The 20-year-old footballer remains in custody as the Greater Manchester Police investigate the case.
England international Mason Greenwood is facing a massive multi-pronged attack after he was arrested on allegations of rape during the weekend.
According to reports in the British press, Greenwood's alleged victim is a teenage student who is being "offered specialist support" by law enforcement agencies right now.
The backlash has ranged from angry fans descending on the Manchester United megastore to return shirts bearing his name, to the American sporting giant Nike suspending its sponsorship deal with the Bradford-born striker.
Several of his Old Trafford colleagues, including Cristiano Ronaldo, have unfollowed him on social media. Besides the Portuguese wizard, goalkeeper David de Gea, French World Cup winner Paul Pogba and England teammate Marcus Rashford are reported to have cut ties with him on Instagram.
After seeing the furore, the former Premier League giants have removed all products featuring Mason Greenwood's name - including caps, shirts and balls - from the club's online shop.
The club's online store has also dropped Greenwood from its list of players; if one searches for his name, it throws up a blank.
To make matters worse for Greenwood, confectionery giant Cadbury, which is one of United's official partners, has said he will no longer appear on any of the company's products - at least not while the case is under investigation.
The club's shirt sponsor, TeamViewer, initially said that it was "closely monitoring developments" before declaring its support for the club and applauding United's action against Greenwood, including his suspension.
"TeamViewer condemns any form of violent behaviour. We are in close contact with our partner Manchester United, appreciate their immediate actions and support their measures. We trust the authorities will provide clarity in this matter," the company said in a statement.
Greenwood, however, isn't the first high-profile footballer to be arrested on sexual assault charges during the 2021-22 season.
Earlier, Man City's Benjamin Mendy was arrested on similar charges and will be tried in court in the next couple of months.
According to reports in the British press, Greenwood's alleged victim is a teenage student who is being "offered specialist support" by law enforcement agencies right now.
The backlash has ranged from angry fans descending on the Manchester United megastore to return shirts bearing his name, to the American sporting giant Nike suspending its sponsorship deal with the Bradford-born striker.
Several of his Old Trafford colleagues, including Cristiano Ronaldo, have unfollowed him on social media. Besides the Portuguese wizard, goalkeeper David de Gea, French World Cup winner Paul Pogba and England teammate Marcus Rashford are reported to have cut ties with him on Instagram.
After seeing the furore, the former Premier League giants have removed all products featuring Mason Greenwood's name - including caps, shirts and balls - from the club's online shop.
The club's online store has also dropped Greenwood from its list of players; if one searches for his name, it throws up a blank.
To make matters worse for Greenwood, confectionery giant Cadbury, which is one of United's official partners, has said he will no longer appear on any of the company's products - at least not while the case is under investigation.
The club's shirt sponsor, TeamViewer, initially said that it was "closely monitoring developments" before declaring its support for the club and applauding United's action against Greenwood, including his suspension.
"TeamViewer condemns any form of violent behaviour. We are in close contact with our partner Manchester United, appreciate their immediate actions and support their measures. We trust the authorities will provide clarity in this matter," the company said in a statement.
Greenwood, however, isn't the first high-profile footballer to be arrested on sexual assault charges during the 2021-22 season.
Earlier, Man City's Benjamin Mendy was arrested on similar charges and will be tried in court in the next couple of months.
