JAKARTA - Neymar's partnership with Nike sports equipment sponsor has finally ended. Neymar no longer renewed his contract with the apparel from the United States, after being partnered for nearly 15 years.
"I can confirm that Neymar is no longer a Nike athlete," Nike spokesman Josh Benedek said in his email, as quoted by Antara, Sunday, August 30.
Neymar has been working with Nike for 15 years. The Brazilian striker's football career has always been supported by this well-known sports equipment company since he was 13 years old.
When Neymar was still playing at Santos, Nike became the club's main sponsor. The 28-year-old has even always defended Nike-sponsored clubs, from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain.
According to reports from Brazil UOL, after terminating his contract with Nike, the Paris St Germain (PSG) player is in talks with Puma to become his newest appareal sponsor. This happened after the two failed to agree on the amount the player would receive in his new contract.
UOL also said the relationship between Nike and Neymar's agents had been in trouble for several months. Puma has not responded to questions about whether the company is trying to recruit Neymar.
Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, said Neymar's last deal with Nike was an 11-year contract which is due to expire in 2022. The contract is worth a total of 105 million dollars.
Neymar, who recently failed to lead PSG to the Champions League, holds the record for the most expensive football transfer in history. PSG must spend 222 million euros to bring him from Barcelona in 2017.
Forbes magazine estimates Neymar's earnings this year to be worth $ 95.5 million, including from endorsed deals. Neymar was first signed by Nike when he caught the eye as a youth player at Brazilian club Santos, who sold him to Barcelona in 2013.
Even though he no longer continues his contract, on the green field, Neymar will still wear the Nike appareal. The US company is a supplier of sports equipment for PSG and the Brazilian national team.
There are only six big teams on the Blue Continent who will use Nike as apparel. They include Barcelona, PSG, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and 2019/2020 Premier League champions Liverpool.
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