It is a fact that in recent months, more or less since the start of the pandemic, many players have been leaving the American brand. For some time now, numerous athletes have been leaving Nike to sign for its direct competitors, specifically brands such as adidas or Puma. This is evident, and many have noticed it with world-class players such as Neymar or Sergio Ramos, but if we look at players in the Italian league, we can also see a trend of footballers moving away from the Swoosh brand.
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Players such as Bastoni, Raspadori and Zielinski are starting to wear different brands, particularly Puma and adidas. Although none of the three has officially switched to other brands, we have seen them, either during matches or training sessions, wearing boots other than the Mercurial, the model used by the three players mentioned above. Raspadori, for example, took to the pitch in a pair of all-black X Speedflow.1s; Bastoni tried out the Puma Future and Puma Ultra in training; and, finally, Zielinski played against Inter in the latest White Spark X Speedflow. In short, none of the three seem to have any intention of continuing with Nike and the Mercurials. And just like these three cases today, there are many more both in Italy and abroad, but the question is this:
Why is Nike losing everyone?
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Perhaps the question isn’t why Nike is letting so many players leave, but why it’s choosing to let them go; let us explain. We all know that Nike is the dominant brand in the world of sportswear, particularly in football and, in this case, football boots, and we can all imagine the financial gains it makes in this sector. Although the last few months have been difficult for everyone due to the pandemic, Nike continues to post the best figures in every aspect of football: in terms of marketing, advertising and, of course, financially. We believe this is precisely one of the main reasons why Nike is not renewing the contracts of several players. If you think about it, the promising young talents of the future, such as Mbappé or Haaland, are under the American brand; this guarantees a bright future for the Swoosh even whilst letting other footballers go.
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Another reason why Nike might be dropping so many players could be the financial and distribution problems that everyone has faced in recent months. The pandemic has been a severe blow to everyone, including a major company like Nike, which will have seen its turnover decline and, as a result, invested less in player sponsorship.
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The final reason, although it is the least likely, could be linked to the product itself. Most Nike players wear the Mercurial, and, as you know, the latest versions haven’t been entirely convincing. Players might also be leaving Nike because they’re unhappy with how the boot feels, but we don’t think so; after all, a Mercurial is always a Mercurial!
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What do you think is the real reason? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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