Understand why Vinícius Junior broke his contract with Nike

Nike has lost one of its main football assets. After months of conversation, Vinícius Junior was able to terminate the contract with the American sports provider that had been in force since 2013. The Real Madrid and Brazilian national team player was dissatisfied with the treatment given to him by the company and had been working with its representatives to find the best way to unbind.

The athlete’s lawyers managed to break the contract this week by activating clauses of the agreement. No longer partnering with Nike, Vini Jr. no longer uses materials from the sports supplier. In the first half of Real Madrid’s victory over Valencia, in the Spanish Championship, on Thursday, he played with all black boots, without details, number or any stamped brand.

The player, according to the Estadão, not in a hurry to find a new sports supplier. In the meantime, he will continue playing with black cleats. The idea is to close a partnership with a company that will give the attacker the treatment that he believes he hasn’t been getting from Nike and that is willing to invest through worldwide campaigns and activations. The Brazilian is one of the main players in the world today.

To the EstadãoNike stated that it “does not comment on details of contracts backed by confidentiality clauses”.

Vinícius Junior’s dissatisfaction with Nike is old

Vini Jr.’s dissatisfaction with Nike it had been going on for months and the desire to terminate the contract had existed since the beginning of last year, but it only came to light in December, during the World Cup in Qatar. the fact that the athlete understood that he was undervalued by the company. Even in campaigns.

Vini Jr. did not participate in the launch campaign for the Brazilian national team shirt in August. Nike used as poster boys Lucas Paquetá, Philippe Coutinho, Rodrygo, Richarlison and Ronaldo Fenômeno, in addition to rapper Djonga, singer MC Hariel and sprinter Paulo André. The Real Madrid star also did not participate in other sponsor events in the World Cup year.

The striker has stood out on the field and outside of it he has seen the interest of big brands in exploring his image grow. Since the end of last year, it has been sought after by advertisers and currently has partnerships with 11 brands: Zé Delivery, EA Sports, Pepsi, Vivo, Casas Bahia, BetNacional, JetEngage, Golden Concept, Royaltiz, Dolce Gabbana and Gagá Milano .

Vini Jr.’s first contract with Nike he was signed when he was 13 years old. The current agreement would only end in 2028. At the World Cup in Qatar, Vini Jr. used a boot model from the brand’s old collection, but the option for shoes has nothing to do with the imbroglio – the athlete decided to keep the model of his own free will. By contract, he had to wear the sports supplier’s boot in the tournament.

Vini Jr is the second of the Brazilian team to break the link with the giant of the United States. In September 2020, Neymar ceased to be a partner of the company after 15 years and signed a contract with Puma.

Months later, Nike’s general counsel, Hilary Krane, stated that the termination of the millionaire contract with the star of Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazilian national team was motivated by the player’s refusal to cooperate in an investigation that involved an accusation of sexual abuse against the Brazilian crack.