European soccer stars love their sports cars

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What is hotter then a hot European soccer star? A hot European soccer star in a hot European sports car! Which do you prefer, the player or the car? This slide show of European soccer stars and their cars may have you sprinting for the showroom.

European Sports Stars and Sports Cars Slide Show

There is definitely a correlation between hot sports stars and hot sports cars but car-makers have not always run to top athletes for sponsorship deals. One big exception is Tiger Woods, who endorses Buick vehicles in an effort by the car-maker to appeal to younger buyers.

The trend is starting to change some in Europe. According to Professor Alan Bairner, of Loughborough University's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences in an interview with Forbes.com, previously, companies preferred to be associated with a more traditional and up-market class of driver. However with the success of European soccer players, high end car-makers are now using the top soccer stars to market their vehicles. And why not? The soccer stars have a large appetite for expensive sports cars and garnish a lot of attention among all demographics.

David Beckham signed a $275 million deal with the LA Galaxy spent millions on a car collection that once included Porsche 911 Turbo, Aston Martin DB7, and a Lamborghini Gallardo. Manchester United star Wayne Rooney has put in for a $340,000 Lamborghini LP640 Murcielago according to British tabloids. Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo receives a complimentary Audi R8.

These cars represent a far cry from Beckhams' Ford Escort and Wayne Rooney's Ford Ka, when they both started their careers out.

European Sports Stars and Sports Cars Slide Show

Originally posted by Geoff Johns