Black and white pictures of the Brazilian football icons Ronaldinho and Ronaldo hang on the wall. Before that, eight-year-old Nathan Inacio poses with a tooth gap and Gucci shirt. His arms on the Instagram photo hardly seem to be strong enough to keep the full Nike bags. According to reports, the American sports giant, which has probably just learned to read and write, was recently equipped with a scouting contract.
What sounds like a football fairy tale is a coup in the global competition for the stars of tomorrow. A deal that is not without risks for the children. “Hype and the commercialization of young players: Inside, the expectations and pressure in a development process, which is already demanding and chaotic. These are young people who come to an age when they are extremely vulnerable and fragile,” said Geirdet, Professor of Psychology and Football in Norway, the dpa.
The Moukoko case and the crash of the Freddy Adu
The Brazilian portal ‘O Globo’ spoke of a “deal with a signal effect” and predicted a magnificent future for Flamengo’s football hope. The example of the 36 -year -old Freddy Adu today shows that young high -flyers are not always too big.
Once celebrated as a new Péle, ADU as a teen signed a professional contract in the United States, advertising Nike and Pepsi. The footballer, who was acting as a talent of the century, could never live up to expectations. After weak years in the MLS, he moved to Europe and tingling unsuccessfully through various leagues. In the end, he wasn’t even enough for a Swedish third division team.
The hype damaged Adus setting sustainably. “Everything happened so quickly. Some of my decisions prevented that I could fully exploit my potential,” said Adu two years ago at CBS. Already as a teenager he was in places where he shouldn’t have been. “Consal visits, things like that. I enjoyed it instead of taking care of things like regeneration, nutrition, fitness and my body. Talent alone is not enough. You have to tear your ass open.”
There are many comparable examples. Kauan Basile, who completed a deal with Nike in 2021, was also traded as a future star. Today the Brazilian has almost two million followers on Instagram and poses with Neymar for advertising campaigns. The ex-Leipziger Xavi Simons and the former BVB jungstar Youssouufa Moukoko also signed the sporting giant early. Moukoko later made the leap to the professionals, but could never really prevail. Now he plays at FC Copenhagen.
Sports psychologist about the risk of early hypes
Expert: Inside, various explanations have why such children can struggle in the course of their career. “This is particularly difficult when these players come into a phase in which they will experience setbacks and adversities in which they celebrate the next big thing in football ‘, now put them down as flops and failures: explained in the inside. Word children should therefore be extremely resistant and robust to assert themselves.
Sports psychologist Jürgen Beckmann from the Technical University of Munich added: “Talent research has shown that one of the most important talent features ‘Coachability’ is. If a child is hyped as a child prodigy, there is a risk that the willingness is rather underdeveloped because you are already superstar”.
Racing between Adidas, Puma and Nike
The global competition between the sporting goods giants tightens the hunt for superstars. “Adidas and Nike dominate the market, Puma is the third big player. Anyone who accesses first, secures the exclusivity. The fear is great that everything that is failed to do is use the rival,” said Christoph Breuer Sport economist of the dpa. After all, future superstars are extremely valuable.
The sports giants are in a race, as Johan Adamsson, sports marketing boss at Puma, reveals in a dpa conversation. Everyone is looking for the next Messi or Neymar. Adidas spokesman Oliver Brüggen said that the goal was to tie players to the brand early and to build a personal relationship.
Is there an age limit for sponsoring deals?
The large suppliers have scouting departments to identify talents worldwide. “While the clubs primarily have a focus on sporting development, our focus is on brand binding. That is why the personality of the young athletes plays a decisive role for us,” said Adamsson.
One of the biggest coups in Puma’s company history: to sign Usain Bolt at the age of 15. The sprinter from Jamaica later won eight gold medals at the Olympic Games.
Incidentally, there is no fixed age limit for supplier deals at Puma, Adidas did not want to comment on his sponsoring guidelines. “Nevertheless, we always take great care for shops with children. Together with parents and consultants: As a supplier, we as a supplier have a special responsibility and are aware of the risks to put young athletes into the international public early,” said Adamsson.