CRISTIANO RONALDO and Nani have no intention of letting the credit crunch affect the lifestyles of their families back in Portugal.

Both have been splashing the cash with Ronaldo opening a second boutique, called CR7, in Lisbon for sister Catia.

He already has one in Madeira which he gave to his other sister, Elma.

Nani has bought his mother Maria a cafe in Lisbon and given £80,000 to each of his brothers and sisters.

And Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy doesn't seem to be feeling the financial strain, either.

His struggles to get off the Blackburn bench haven't affected his spending power.

His latest motor is a black convertible Bentley.

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ROONEY MAKES HIS MERC

WAYNE ROONEY has been called the face of many things - but not Mercedes.

With almost no publicity, the England and Manchester United star was enrolled as an official ambassador for the luxury German carmakers earlier this year.

That merely seemed to involve him getting a top-of-the-range Merc.

But 'Ave It understands Mercedes are considering using Rooney to promote their luxury cars in future.

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MOMO MEMORY LOSS

WHAT do they put in the pasta in Turin? Whatever it is has affected Momo Sissoko's memory.

The former Kop star mused this week: "The Champions League? I won it with Liverpool and now I want to win it with Juventus."

Sadly for Momo, he signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2005 - two months after Liverpool's Istanbul triumph.

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WORD reaches 'Ave It that a top Premier League star is in hot water.

The top-flight newcomer decided to try his luck at coach-driving. The result? The team bus suffered damage which will cost a five-figure sum to repair.

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ROBBIE KEANE may have started scoring for Liverpool but he needs more luck off the pitch.

We hear he had to get a pal to blag him into Hale's 161 club - the favourite hang-out of footballers in the north-west.

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