France returned Sunday night to its luxurious hotel in Doha after having passed the round of 16 of the World Cup in Qatar. The team was greeted with applause from the employees. At the end of the procession, Kylian Mbappé appeared with the man of the match trophy thanks to the assist on goal and the two goals he scored.
But the player of Paris Saint-Germain he was more concerned with covering up the brand of beer that sponsors the man of the match trophy than enjoying the reception he received.
The same ritual that he has been doing since he arrived in Qatar. As is his custom, Mbappé does not want her image to be linked to any brand.
In France’s first two matches he was also voted man of the match. The footballer posed for the photo, with the beer brand hidden, but did not attend the press conference, as required by FIFA regulations.
On the third time, he did appear before the media, apologized and assured that he would pay the fine imposed on the company out of pocket. French Football Federation (FFF) for his two previous absences. But the trophy was still ‘back’ to the cameras.
Kylian Mbappé’s relationship with the sponsors has already given the FFF more than one headache. The player’sHe has refused to participate in promotions of some of the brands with which the FFF has a contract and that has generated friction with the footballer.
last march He stood up the advertising creatives of Coca Cola, KFC and Belin because they sell fast food and not the healthy eating promoted by the foundation created by the player.
That gesture generated an earthquake in the FFF, which saw its advertising revenue at risk. The brands demand to be able to count on international footballers, but Mbappé wants that to be renegotiated. In that he is also a different player.
The tug of war continues because The FFF already has signed contracts worth $1.5 million dollars and because Kylian Mbappé is not just any player. He is the star of the team, of the France team, the face that everyone wants to have next to his brand.
Together with Antoine Griezmann, all publicists dream of associating their brand with that of the French stars, who have signed a commitment to give up their image when they are with the national team.
Mbappé’s lawyer believes that this contract is a piece of paper because in exchange the soccer players receive only $26,000 per game and, furthermore, no one asks them if they want to be the image of those brands.
The pulse is served, but Mbappé has an ace up his sleeve: France cannot face their star.
How far is the player willing to go? Everything indicates that he is far away and that he does not mind also standing up to FIFA and the beer brand that accompanies that campaign.
Originally from the humble municipality of Bondy, Mbappé knows that he is an idol for millions of children and young people who grow up in depressed areas, the most exposed to the negative consequences of junk food, alcohol or online gambling.
From a very young age, the player and his clan have always wanted to maintain total control over their career and their image, a strategy that has led them to sign with few sponsors, who in exchange for that exclusivity have to dig deep into their pockets.
Now, Kylian Mbappé gives a new sign that he does not want his face to appear next to any brand.
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