WHEN Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba removed Coca-Cola and Heineken bottles during Euro 2020 press conferences, it showed sports stars are rejecting sponsors' products that fail to correspond to their personal values, analysts say. Ronaldo has a combined social media audience of around 500 million followers, so when he speaks, it has an impact. The 36-year-old Portugal captain is a fitness fanatic and made clear what he thought of the Coca-Cola bottle set out in front of him as he spoke to the media on Monday before his country's opening match against Hungary. "We're in a new era where athletes seem to be reclaiming their voice. Either you take away all the logos or you vigorously enforce the contractual rights associated with a sponsorship deal," he said.

Source: The Star June 23, 2021 07:52 UTC