Mason Greenwood sexual assault case: After teammates, now brands shun Manchester United forward

At the start of the football season 2021-22, 20-year-old Mason Greenwood impressed Manchester United fans and football pundits in Europe. However, the recent arrest of the forward over suspicion of rape and assault following posts shared by his girlfriend Harriet Robson has rocked the football community and has cast dark clouds over Greenwood's future.

Manchester United have removed all Mason Greenwood merchandise from their official website, even as the club reiterated its strong condemnation of violence of any kind. The Ralf Rangnick led side confirmed that the 20-year-old will not return to training or play matches until further notice.

"We are aware of images and allegations circulating on social media. We will not make any further comments until the facts have been established. Manchester United do not condone violence of any kind," a statement from Old Trafford read.

Following this shocking news, several Manchester United teammates, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Jesse Lingard, David de Gea, Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani and Scott McTominay, unfollowed Mason Greenwood on Instagram.

Also read: Manchester United's Mason Greenwood arrested: 6 footballers who were accused of rape

Not just teammates, but now sponsors and brands have expressed their concern over the sexual abuse allegations. Mason Greenwood's sponsor, Nike, announced the suspension of the lucrative sponsorship deal. "We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to monitor the situation closely," the sporting brand said in a statement.

Meanwhile, EA Sports removed Mason Greenwood from active squads in FIFA 22. On Tuesday, the video game developer released a new squad update for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. The forward is no longer included in Manchester United's squad and has been completely taken out of the offline database. If the club's squad is loaded up in the kick-off mode, the 20-year-old is nowhere to be seen in the starting XI or reserves.

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United shirt sponsors TeamViewer have also indicated they are 'closely monitoring developments', with another club's partners in Cadbury refusing to have Mason Greenwood's image on their products. Greenwood, who remains in police custody pending investigation, has faced fierce criticism from frustrated Manchester United fans, who have asked Old Trafford to return the money they paid for his jerseys.

On Tuesday, a statement released by Greater Manchester Police confirmed that detectives had been granted additional time to speak to Greenwood. It added that inquiries are ongoing, and the victim is being offered specialist support. "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," the statement concluded.

Since he was six, Mason Greenwood has been at Old Trafford and rose through the academy before making his first-team debut in 2019. He signed a new deal in February 2021, keeping him at Old Trafford until 2025. The forward has scored six goals in all competitions this season and started Manchester United's last game, a 1-0 victory over West Ham United on January 22.

The 20-year-old made his England debut against Iceland in September 2020, but he and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden were sent home after breaching the team's Covid-19 guidelines. He has yet to win another cap for the Three Lions.