The sportswear manufacturer issued a statement on Monday after Greenwood added Nike to his Instagram bio. This was a few days after Greater Manchester Police dropped all criminal charges – rape and violence charges – against him last week on Thursday.
The suspended Manchester United player added Nike’s kit to his Instagram bio, and the manufacturer set the record straight about their current relationship.
In response to the Mirror, Nike was clear that Greenwood was no longer one of their sponsored athletes.
“Mason Greenwood is no longer a Nike athlete,” the giant sportswear manufacturer stated.
Mason Greenwood. Photo/The Times
Nike cut ties with Greenwood in January 2022 shortly after his arrest. Manchester United would follow suit by terminating his contract, saying it does not condone violence of any kind. Then, the poster boy for Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo, led a pack of fans to unfollow Greenwood on Instagram.
Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Alex Telles, David de Gea, Edinson Cavani and Scott McTominay were the first to unfollow the former United striker.
Manchester United took down the entire internet store for Greenwood. The club also declined to provide him with legal support, claiming that the accusations against him were incompatible with what the club stands for.
Greater Manchester Police Head of Public Protection Chief Superintendent Michaela Kerr, in a statement, said they did their fair share of announcing that the United footballer was now a free man.
“Given the significant media coverage of this case, it is only fair that we share the news that the 21-year-old man, who had been arrested and charged in connection with an investigation opened in January 2022, no longer faces criminal proceedings in relation to this,” Manchester Evening News Reports.
Kerr said that GMP investigation team maintained constant contact with the legal team, providing changes of significance. This explains the justification for the suspension of proceedings against Greenwood, which was not an easy one to make nor a light one.
He added that it was a decision informed by proper findings and was done within the legal tenets of criminal justice. Further, the department saw it wise to clarify the reasons surrounding Greenwood’s release because the case had sparked widespread media coverage.
Mason Greenwood. Photo/Marca
Greenwood, in a statement, said that he was glad that the case is finally over and he can focus on rebuilding his life once more. Besides adding Nike to his Instagram bio, he deleted many other photos and only remained with nine showing him in action on the pitch.
Nevertheless, Erik ten Hag, Manchester United’s head coach, declined to comment on Greenwood’s situation with the team shortly after his charges were dropped. He directed the media to refer to the club’s statement, which indicated he wouldn’t resume training while an internal investigation is going on.
The 21-year-old joined the Red Devils during the 2018–19 season. He later made 129 appearances for United and scored 35 goals throughout that time. His last game was against West Ham in December 2021 but was then arrested.
Teresa is a journalist with years of experience in creating web content. She is a wanderlust at heart, but an outgoing sports writer with focus on tennis, athletics, football, motorsports and NBA.
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