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A rising England soccer star arrested on suspicion of rape has been dropped by his main sponsor Nike and removed from popular video game FIFA

Feb 1, 2022, 17:28 IST
Insider
Mason Greenwood was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of rape and assault.Getty/Visionhaus
  • Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of rape and assault.
  • The 20-year-old's arrest came after social media allegations against him. He has not been charged with a crime.
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Police in the English city of Manchester have been granted more time to question Manchester United and England footballer Mason Greenwood following his arrest on suspicion of rape and assault.

Greenwood, 20, was arrested on Sunday following allegations made against him on social media, which included photos and audio.

"Detectives have been granted additional time to speak to a man in his 20s who is being held on suspicion of rape and assault of a woman," Greater Manchester Police said, according to the BBC.

"Inquiries are ongoing and the victim is being offered specialist support."

The force added: "We remind people to avoid any commentary or sharing of images that could compromise the victim's right to lifelong anonymity, or risk prejudicing a live investigation with active proceedings."

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Greenwood has not responded publicly to the allegations. He has not been charged with a crime.

In light of the claims made against him, Manchester United confirmed, per Goal, that Greenwood would not be training or playing for the club "until further notice" and that it "does not condone violence of any kind."

The England international has also been dropped by his main sponsor Nike.

"We have suspended our relationship with Mason Greenwood. We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation," a Nike spokesperson told Reuters.

Manchester United has also removed any merchandise featuring Greenwood's name from its club shop.

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A number of his Manchester United teammates, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, and Marcus Rashford, also appear to have unfollowed him on social media since the allegations came to light, per several media reports.

As of Tuesday morning, Greenwood is not followed on Instagram or Twitter by any of Ronaldo, Pogba, or Rashford, Insider found.

Greenwood's likeness has also been removed from the popular video game FIFA 22, the Manchester Evening News reported Tuesday.

Cristiano Ronaldo is among teammates to have unfollowed Mason Greenwood on social media.Getty/Mike Egerton

Greenwood, who rose through the ranks of United's academy and has been with the club since the age of six, was previously dropped from the England national team in September 2021 after breaking coronavirus protocols while on international duty in Iceland.

In a statement on the United's website at the time, Greenwood said: "Having now had the chance to reflect on what's happened, I can only apologise to everyone for the embarrassment I have caused. It was irresponsible of me to break the COVID-19 protocols which are in place to protect players, staff and the public."

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