Gooner Daily

With the international break over, Arsenal has had its fair share of casualties, with Tomas Rosicky out with a tight strain while there are doubts over the fitness of Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott.

In an attempt to drift your minds off some on the pitch action to one of the activities that happen off it, today’s guest post features Peter Fairfield, the co-founder and Director of Autoweb, that will offer some insight on 10 of the best cars owned by football stars. 

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They’re renowned for being flash with their cash when it comes to just about everything from homes and fashion, right down to the food they eat and the things they do on a night out (if the manager doesn’t find out, that is). Some of the world’s top footballers feel more than a little inclined to spend their massive wages as soon as they get paid; especially on cars.

We at Autoweb thought that it would be an exciting project to examine some of the cars some of our favorite footballers have in their garages.

Without further ado and in no specific order, here are the top 10 cars owned by footballers.

Ashley Cole – Mercedes SLG 63 AMG (£168,000)

In his lifetime as a footballer, Ashley Cole has been in the news for the right and wrong reasons, but there’s definitely nothing wrong with having a Mercedes SLG 63 AMG when you’re earning £120,000 per week.

Lionel Messi – Ferrari 360 Spider (£115,000)

Being the best footballer in the planet has its rewards – amazing haul of trophies, consecutive Ballon D’ Ors and of course, you know, a Ferrari 360 Spider.

Mario Balotelli – Bentley Continental GT (£176,000)

A quick question for Mario Balotelli: Why Always him?

Gareth Bale – Audi R6 (£120,000)

He recently made a move to Real Madrid which has made him the most expensive acquisition in football history but he will have to do a lot to adapt to his new surroundings. His Audi R6 will also have to adapt to the new Spanish roads I guess.

Didier Drogba – Ferrari F430 (£172,500)

One of Africa’s finest exports dominated the Premier League with his sheer power and tenacity, making him one of the most feared opponents to come up against. He has also channeled that intimidation to his wheels and the Ferrari F430 stands out for a player that has been a standout performer throughout his glittering career.

Wayne Rooney – Lamborghini Gallardo (£250,000)

Well, we live in a world where you can attempt to force your way out of your club to get a massive pay rise, only to go and purchase a car with exactly the same amount of one week’s wages. With a Lamborghini Gallardo already in his garage, one can only wonder the car Rooney would have bought if he forced a move to Chelsea to earn a fatter pay check.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Bugatti Veyron (£1,500,000)

Just in case Ace Hood, Future and Rick Ross didn’t know, Cristiano Ronaldo has actually woken up in a Bugatti Veyron before. Enough said.

Thierry Henry – Audi Q7 (£60,000)

The former king of Arsenal has seen it all, been there and has definitely done that. 

This Audi Q7 isn’t as flashy as the cars in this list but if you’re a family man like Henry, there’s a family car for you.

Luis Nani – Ferrari 458 Italia (£173,000)

Luis Nani may not be seeing as much game time as he would have wanted at Manchester United, but I’m pretty sure he’s not that bothered, bearing in mind that he has a Ferrari 458 Italia he’ll go to after the game. I’m sure that he won’t want to soil his car seats with sweat. Bleeeeeh

Carlos Tevez – Porsche Panamera (£173,000)

I’m trying to think of that night Carlos Tevez got into the spotlight after deliberately deciding not play for his team in the Champions League clash against Bayern Munich. What did he do afterwards? Let’s see – jetted off to Argentina, played some golf and errr, maybe, got him a Porsche Panamera,

At Autoweb, you can find a more detailed infographic of these footballers, their rides, the costs of these rides, the player’s salaries and of course, our thoughts and opinions on these players and their exclusive rides.

This infographic reveals how much top stars are willing to pay in order to get the best possible car on the market. In most cases, they’re happy to splurge six-figure sums equivalent to just a week’s wages on a sports car or luxury saloon, showing it off to their teammates at the training ground.

The likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Balotelli are likely to own several cars, but will probably have one for show, the Bugatti Veyron being a good example. Ronaldo owns one, and can easily afford it, but it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if he only drove it for special occasions given its £1.5m price tag!

Some players are clearly flashier than others when it comes to their choices. The majority on the list choose cars with huge top speeds, although a notable exception is Thierry Henry, the former Arsenal and Barcelona striker, who chooses a car that’s better for driving the kids around New York.

This article was written by Peter Fairfield, the co-founder and Director of Autoweb.

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