Capítulo 360: Chapter 360: Nike Panics, Offers 45 Million Big Contract!
Chapter 360: Nike Panics, Offers 45 Million Big Contract!
With the World Club Cup trophy secured and the septuple accomplished, the calls for Lin Quan to win the Ballon d'Or grew louder. With less than half a month to go until the award ceremony, Lin Quan's lead over Messi and Ronaldo was so significant that even their fans had accepted the outcome.
"Never mind, Messi already has four Ballon d'Ors, what's the harm in letting Lin Quan have one?" Messi's fans were confident. Having achieved four consecutive Ballon d'Ors, Messi was the player with the most Ballon d'Or wins in history. At only 27, he had at least five more peak years, during which he could aim for a fifth or even sixth Ballon d'Or.
Ronaldo's fans, though less confident, still took pride in his two Ballon d'Ors, placing him alongside legends like Beckenbauer and Ronaldo. Despite approaching 30 and having only two or three peak years left, Real Madrid's current dominance meant Ronaldo could still aim for more titles, possibly securing a third Ballon d'Or.
Despite Lin Quan's strong position, Manchester City didn't take any chances. No player in the club's history had ever won the Ballon d'Or, and Lin Quan was poised to break that record. The club ramped up its efforts to campaign for him, knowing that while the player's performance was crucial, club support was also essential.
Unlike Real Madrid, Manchester City was a newcomer without deep connections in football. Thus, they leveraged their financial power, investing in global media campaigns to promote Lin Quan. As a result, numerous reports began surfacing, praising Lin Quan and arguing that he deserved the Ballon d'Or.
Such extensive coverage ensured that if Lin Quan didn't win, it would conflict with public perception, sparking significant controversy and reducing the chances of behind-the-scenes manipulation.
Nike also joined in, utilizing their influence in football to back Lin Quan. They saw his potential to boost their brand and sought to renew their contract with him. While Nike's influence wasn't as substantial as Adidas's, they aimed to attract athletes with better offers. Given Lin Quan's rapid rise, Nike couldn't afford to lose him to competitors.
With Ronaldo nearing 30, Nike needed a new face for their football strategy. Lin Quan, talented and young, was the perfect candidate. To secure his loyalty, Nike contacted his agent, offering to help him win next year's Laureus Award.
"Wait, the Laureus Award?" Lin Quan was surprised when his agent, Pere, mentioned it. He knew the award, typically dominated by sports like racing, tennis, and golf, rarely acknowledged footballers. Thus, he had never considered it a possibility.
"Yes, Nike wants to position you as their top athlete and push for the Laureus Award next year," Pere explained.
Winning the Laureus Award required exceptional achievements in international sports and unanimous recognition from the selection committee. Competing against athletes from various sports, the award was fiercely contested. Recent winners were often from athletics and tennis, with names like Bolt, Nadal, and Djokovic frequently appearing.
Despite multiple nominations, footballers like Ronaldo and Messi had never won. Rumors suggested that the existence of the more prestigious Ballon d'Or made Laureus judges less likely to vote for footballers, making it an extremely tough award for them to win.
However, Nike's substantial influence across multiple sports, with numerous sponsored athletes, couldn't be ignored. With their full support, Lin Quan had a real chance. Reflecting on his 2014 performance, he had achieved the pinnacle for a footballer, winning league titles, cup competitions, the Champions League, World Cup, and Club World Cup.
Individually, Lin Quan had also swept the awards, including league top scorer, league MVP, Champions League top scorer, Champions League MVP, World Cup top scorer, and World Cup MVP. His achievements matched those of his competitors, and with Nike's backing, he felt a Laureus Award was within reach.
"What does Nike want in return?" Lin Quan knew there were no free lunches.
"They want to renew your contract or sign a longer-term sponsorship deal," Pere replied.
Lin Quan's current contract with Nike, signed in 2013, was worth 18 million euros over three years and was nearing its end. With a superstar like Lin Quan, Nike's urgency was understandable.
"What are they offering?"
Someone couldn't wait to send money my way, and no one would refuse such a good thing. Of course, at this moment, the initiative to renew the contract was in Lin Quan's hands, and he would certainly use this opportunity to secure more benefits for himself. Sponsors might be strong when facing other players, but they can't be strong when facing top-tier players because superstars don't lack suitors, just like a beautiful woman doesn't lack admirers.
"They've offered you a five-year, 45 million euro contract!" Pere's voice on the other end of the phone sounded excited. Compared to the previous three-year, 18 million euro contract, Nike's new offer was full of sincerity. The previous contract amounted to 6 million euros per year, while the new one increased that to 9 million euros annually, a 50% increase. This rate even surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo's.
In 2013, Ronaldo renewed his contract with Nike for five years and 40 million euros, making his annual rate 1 million euros less than Lin Quan's. The value of a sponsorship contract directly reflects a player's status with the sponsor. Lin Quan's higher rate meant that, in Nike's eyes, his status and commercial value surpassed Ronaldo's, making him the top star in Nike's football strategy. This was what Pere felt showed Nike's full sincerity.
However, Lin Quan was not entirely satisfied with the amount. He remembered that when NBA star LeBron James first entered the league in 2003, he signed a seven-year, 93 million dollar contract with Nike. In 2010, when he renewed his contract, industry speculation suggested that LeBron's sponsorship deal exceeded 200 million dollars, potentially reaching an astonishing 40 million dollars a year. Compared to Lin Quan's 9 million euros a year, LeBron's contract was about four times higher. This significant disparity made Lin Quan a bit displeased.
LeBron James might be the top player in the NBA, and his status might be slightly higher than Lin Quan's, but the gap in their standing shouldn't be four times as wide. So, why was Nike willing to pay LeBron so much more in sponsorship than they were willing to pay him?
"Um, well..." Pere was momentarily speechless, unsure how to explain to Lin Quan. Compared to football, basketball's global influence was indeed smaller. In the U.S., basketball wasn't even the number one sport. Judging by the global frenzy during last year's World Cup, football was undoubtedly the world's most popular sport. However, football had a fatal flaw: football shoes were hard to sell.
Basketball player contracts were largely centered around shoe endorsements, with sponsors often developing exclusive shoes for them. Fans could buy these shoes to wear both in sports and in daily life, leading to a vast consumer base and high sales. Sponsors could gain huge profits from shoe sales, making them willing to spend big on signing athletes.
However, football shoes were too specialized. Spiked shoes weren't suitable for everyday wear, only for the field. Professional football shoes were expensive and had limited use, only appealing to football enthusiasts. Ordinary fans might buy a jersey, but were unlikely to buy football shoes, limiting their market. Consequently, football player sponsorship deals were naturally lower than those for NBA players.
"That's not an issue. I'm not always wearing football shoes; I can definitely endorse Nike's everyday sports shoes and other products. There's no need to limit it so strictly!" Lin Quan's thinking was a bit unconventional.
"Okay, I'll relay your feedback to Nike and see what they say."
Nike received Pere's feedback and immediately convened an emergency meeting to discuss. They weren't sure about the effectiveness of having a football player endorse products unrelated to football. Usually, they would choose track athletes or celebrities for such endorsements, rarely football players. Moreover, Lin Quan's contract amount already exceeded Ronaldo's, and increasing it further might cause significant dissatisfaction from Ronaldo.
Thus, Nike politely declined Pere's proposal. To compensate Lin Quan, they promised to do everything possible to help him win the Laureus Award next year.
"Then let's wait for the results of next year's Laureus Award," Lin Quan replied, somewhat dissatisfied with Nike's response. It felt like they were offering a vague promise to trick him into renewing his contract early. Without a guarantee, Lin Quan wasn't inclined to trust such empty promises. Fortunately, the Laureus Award shortlist would be announced early next month, and the ceremony would be held on April 15, 2015, at the Shanghai Grand Theater. Nike's sincerity would be evident by then.
After rejecting Nike's renewal offer, Lin Quan refocused on his matches.
On January 10, Manchester City visited Everton at Goodison Park. They received good news: Agüero and Kroos had both recovered from injuries and were included in the squad, coming on as substitutes in the second half. With a full-strength squad, Manchester City led 3-0 by halftime with goals from Lin Quan and De Bruyne. In the second half, Lin Quan scored again, completing hat-tricks in consecutive matches, showcasing his red-hot form.
Soon after completing his hat trick, Lin Quan was substituted by Agüero. As Lin Quan left the field, Guardiola, seemingly worried that Lin Quan might be upset, hugged him and explained his reason for the early substitution.
"You've already scored three goals. Everton's players are getting desperate, and if you stay on the field, they might target you with fouls and retaliations, which could be dangerous, so I substituted you."
Lin Quan looked at Guardiola and curiously asked, "When you substituted Messi, did you also explain it like this?"
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder