Sponsors are set to desert the English soccer star amid accusations of cheating on his pregnant wife with a series of prostitutes.
Wayne Rooney, the England soccer team's star striker, is facing a stream of revelations about infidelities with prostitutes — prompting sports writers and bloggers to dub him "the new Tiger Woods." The Manchester United player's American sponsors are considering ditching him. Here's an instant guide to England's latest soccer sex scandal:
Wayne Rooney: A sex scandal is making life miserable for the married, English soccer star at home and on the field.
What did Rooney do?
According to the British tabloid News of the World, Rooney repeatedly paid for sex with at least two prostitutes while his wife, Coleen, was pregnant with his baby son, Kai. The 24-year-old reportedly paid over $4,000 for sex with Jenny Thompson, 21, and another escort, Helen Wood, 23. Coleen Rooney fled to her parents' house after the story first emerged, but has since reportedly decided to give her husband one more chance.
Is this the first time Rooney has been caught with prostitutes?
No. In 2004, the soccer player confessed to visiting "massage parlors" in his hometown of Liverpool for sex with a 48-year-old grandmother nicknamed "Auld Slapper." Although he wasn't married at the time, he and Coleen were already dating. The couple have been together since they were 12 years old.
What have his sponsors said?
Rooney, who is paid a salary of about $150,000 a week, has a number of big-name sponsors, including Coca-Cola, Nike, and Tiger Beer. The U.S. chiefs of Coca-Cola are reportedly considering dropping the soccer player, though Nike has pledged to retain Rooney's services.
What has the reaction been like in the bleachers?
After England's disappointing World Cup campaign, the team's notoriously fickle supporters are outraged at this latest embarrassment. In a particularly cruel taunt, English fans in the stands even came up with a chant to provoke Rooney, set to the tune of a Bob Marley song: "No woman, no Kai." Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson benched Rooney during a game last weekend, saying he wanted to spare his player the game-day abuse.
Is Rooney the only England footballer to be mired in a sex scandal?
Hardly. Rooney's fellow England player John Terry was sacked as captain of the squad in January after his affair with a teammate's girlfriend was revealed. England stars Ashley Cole and Peter Crouch have also had extramarital affairs revealed in the tabloids this year.
Why can't English football players keep it in their pants?
Because such behavior is rarely punished, says Sheena Hastings at The Yorkshire Post. Soccer players "seem to think they are above all normal beings when it comes to operating any sense of moral duty" — and sponsors, managers, and forgiving wives seem to agree. But Rooney is a special case, says Richard Williams in the Guardian. At the tender age of 16 he was "catapulted into a world of Ferraris," $75,000 watches, gated residential estates, and nightclubs filled with gorgeous women. "If he were to have acquired any semblance of a moral compass in these circumstances, it would be something of a miracle."
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