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Coca-Cola bosses ready to ditch shamed Wayne Rooney following alleged infidelities
By SAM GREENHILL
Last updated at 2:40 AM on 13th September 2010
Coca-Cola may become the first sponsor to ditch Wayne Rooney, it emerged yesterday.
Executives at the family-orientated brand’s U.S. headquarters are said to be ‘horrified and bewildered’ by reports of the England footballer sleeping with prostitutes while his wife was pregnant.
And if Rooney does lose his multi-million-pound Coke contract, it could poison his other lucrative sponsorship deals.
Tough cookie: Coleen leaving her home in Liverpool on Saturday night, left, as Rooney drives from United's training ground on Friday
Tiger Woods is believed to have lost around £7.8million in sponsorship when he was embroiled in a sex scandal.
The threat to shamed Rooney’s rolling £600,000-a-year contract with Coke may cast a new light on his sudden determination to save his two-year-old marriage.
After initially seeming nonchalant over his future with wife Coleen, the footballer reportedly switched into remorse mode at the end of last week – although that apparently involved ‘grunting’ in agreement while his wife shouted at him.
Home visit: Wayne Rooney was seen leaving his family home on Saturday morning in his Bentley
Strong: Coleen stepped out last week covering her wedding ring
After tearful phone calls, the couple met at the weekend for the first time since the damaging revelations broke a week ago, and talked for five hours at the marital home.
According to one report, Coleen has decided to forgive her cheating husband after telling friends she could not live without him.
Yet this might not be enough to stop his other chief love – money – from walking out.
The footballer, who earns £100,000 a week playing for Manchester United, makes another £2.5million a year from four sponsors, including £600,000 as the face of Coca-Cola’s Powerade and Coke Zero brands.
Head office executives in Atlanta, Georgia, were angry when Rooney was photographed in June smoking, urinating against a wall and singing raucously.
But the allegations that he used prostitutes have apparently led them to believe Rooney must be dropped.
‘Americans cannot fathom the laddish culture that surrounds football and are bewildered by his behaviour,’ said a source.
According to the Sunday Times, the Americans have ordered Coca-Cola’s London office to sever ties with their disgraced signing. However, executives in London are said to desperately fighting to keep him.
A decision is expected within a fortnight, with London expected to lose the tussle.
If Rooney, 24, does lose his contract, it would be seen as a welcome departure from recent scandals in which errant footballers have been allowed to keep their money-spinning deals.
Although John Terry was sacked as England captain after his extra-marital affair with team-mate Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend was exposed, he successfully clung to his £4million contract with sports shoe maker Umbro.
Nigel Currie, of consultancy Brand Rapport, said: ‘This is different for several reasons. With John Terry, the story went away eventually, but the Rooney story doesn’t seem likely to disappear.
‘He’s such a big name – and his wife is, too – and it is all said to have happened when she was pregnant with their son.
Ready for a showdown: Coleen's car arriving at the gates of her home on Sunday
‘A lot of Rooney’s sponsors are pushing family-orientated products.
The guys in the U.S. will not understand his behaviour and will want to get out of their contracts with him and move on.
‘If this goes on for much longer, I would not be surprised if his sponsors say enough is enough.’
'Enough is enough': American bosses at Coca-Cola's headquarters are horrified and bewildered by his reported use of prostitutes
Brand expert Chris Lightfoot added: ‘When it starts to get murky, there is inevitable damage to the brand and the business. Sponsors pull away.’
Parenting groups have called for Rooney, a role model to millions of youngsters, to be punished for his behaviour.
He allegedly slept with prostitutes Jennifer Thompson and Helen Wood while Coleen was expecting their son Kai, who is now 10 months old.
On Saturday, Rooney was spared football terrace chants of ‘No Woman, No Kai’, to the tune of the Bob Marley classic, when manager Sir Alex Ferguson decided not to play him against Everton, his former club.
Ferguson said he wanted to protect his star striker from ‘the abuse he gets here’.
Last night, Coca-Cola’s spokesman in London said there was no change to the company’s statement that ‘this is a private matter for Wayne Rooney and his family’.
By SAM GREENHILL
Last updated at 2:40 AM on 13th September 2010
Coca-Cola may become the first sponsor to ditch Wayne Rooney, it emerged yesterday.
Executives at the family-orientated brand’s U.S. headquarters are said to be ‘horrified and bewildered’ by reports of the England footballer sleeping with prostitutes while his wife was pregnant.
And if Rooney does lose his multi-million-pound Coke contract, it could poison his other lucrative sponsorship deals.
Tough cookie: Coleen leaving her home in Liverpool on Saturday night, left, as Rooney drives from United's training ground on Friday
Tiger Woods is believed to have lost around £7.8million in sponsorship when he was embroiled in a sex scandal.
The threat to shamed Rooney’s rolling £600,000-a-year contract with Coke may cast a new light on his sudden determination to save his two-year-old marriage.
After initially seeming nonchalant over his future with wife Coleen, the footballer reportedly switched into remorse mode at the end of last week – although that apparently involved ‘grunting’ in agreement while his wife shouted at him.
Home visit: Wayne Rooney was seen leaving his family home on Saturday morning in his BentleyStrong: Coleen stepped out last week covering her wedding ringAfter tearful phone calls, the couple met at the weekend for the first time since the damaging revelations broke a week ago, and talked for five hours at the marital home.
According to one report, Coleen has decided to forgive her cheating husband after telling friends she could not live without him.
Yet this might not be enough to stop his other chief love – money – from walking out.
The footballer, who earns £100,000 a week playing for Manchester United, makes another £2.5million a year from four sponsors, including £600,000 as the face of Coca-Cola’s Powerade and Coke Zero brands.
Head office executives in Atlanta, Georgia, were angry when Rooney was photographed in June smoking, urinating against a wall and singing raucously.
But the allegations that he used prostitutes have apparently led them to believe Rooney must be dropped.
‘Americans cannot fathom the laddish culture that surrounds football and are bewildered by his behaviour,’ said a source.
According to the Sunday Times, the Americans have ordered Coca-Cola’s London office to sever ties with their disgraced signing. However, executives in London are said to desperately fighting to keep him.
A decision is expected within a fortnight, with London expected to lose the tussle.
If Rooney, 24, does lose his contract, it would be seen as a welcome departure from recent scandals in which errant footballers have been allowed to keep their money-spinning deals.
Although John Terry was sacked as England captain after his extra-marital affair with team-mate Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend was exposed, he successfully clung to his £4million contract with sports shoe maker Umbro.
Nigel Currie, of consultancy Brand Rapport, said: ‘This is different for several reasons. With John Terry, the story went away eventually, but the Rooney story doesn’t seem likely to disappear.
‘He’s such a big name – and his wife is, too – and it is all said to have happened when she was pregnant with their son.
Ready for a showdown: Coleen's car arriving at the gates of her home on Sunday‘A lot of Rooney’s sponsors are pushing family-orientated products.
The guys in the U.S. will not understand his behaviour and will want to get out of their contracts with him and move on.
‘If this goes on for much longer, I would not be surprised if his sponsors say enough is enough.’
'Enough is enough': American bosses at Coca-Cola's headquarters are horrified and bewildered by his reported use of prostitutesBrand expert Chris Lightfoot added: ‘When it starts to get murky, there is inevitable damage to the brand and the business. Sponsors pull away.’
Parenting groups have called for Rooney, a role model to millions of youngsters, to be punished for his behaviour.
He allegedly slept with prostitutes Jennifer Thompson and Helen Wood while Coleen was expecting their son Kai, who is now 10 months old.
On Saturday, Rooney was spared football terrace chants of ‘No Woman, No Kai’, to the tune of the Bob Marley classic, when manager Sir Alex Ferguson decided not to play him against Everton, his former club.
Ferguson said he wanted to protect his star striker from ‘the abuse he gets here’.
Last night, Coca-Cola’s spokesman in London said there was no change to the company’s statement that ‘this is a private matter for Wayne Rooney and his family’.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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