The presentation took place at Real Madrid’s stadium Santiago Bernabeu with media from all over the world. Casillas expressed on his face book page ”Today is a special day for me as I join a new family, adidas. I’m sure I will have many great moments with them. I also have to thank Reebok for eleven great years.”

To present its new acquisition Adidas released its classic all in video that shows Iker walking through an Adidas hall of fame corridor where he is now part of it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzVdUtDFWSY

The Portuguese player will front the charity’s Everyone New Born and Child Survival Campaign, a worldwide effort to prevent the deaths of infants from preventable diseases such as measles and diarrhoea. Ronaldo began his duties at the Globe Soccer event in Dubai on 28th and 29th December, where he hosted the “Champion for Children Initiative” charity auction. Along with the likes of Lionel Messi, Alessandro Del Piero and Iker Casillas, the 26-year-old donated a signed football shirt for the auction, which raised €37,000 for selected Save the Children campaigns.

Speaking after the auction, Ronaldo said: “I’m so proud to support Save the Children. I’m delighted at the funds raised during tonight’s auction and at the support of so many players from across so many different world class teams in making it such a success. This is the most important thing of tonight. I hope it’ll go a long way in stopping needless child deaths.”Save the Children chief executive Justin Forsyth added: “Child mortality is a major global issue with over seven million children dying before their fifth birthday every year. That’s why it’s incredible to have a figurehead like Cristiano Ronaldo at the helm of Save the Children’s Global Everyone Newborn and Child Survival Campaign.”

Forsyth also praised Ronaldo’s early contribution as an ambassador, saying that he had helped to raise “funds that will help us ensure that 7,000 children, and over 36,000 adults in Egypt have access to health and secure livelihoods.”

In August, Save the Children became the official charity partner of Premier League club Arsenal.

 Source: sportspromedia.com

Lionel Messi of Argentina, one of the nominees for the football player of the year, speaks prior to the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2011 gala held at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland, Monday, Jan. 9, 2012.... (Associated Press)

ZURICH — Already considered one of soccer’s greats at age 24, Lionel Messi on Monday became the first to win FIFA player of the year three times in a row.

The Barcelona and Argentina forward received the FIFA Ballon d’Or award for 2011, beating club teammate Xavi Hernandez and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

“It’s a huge honor,” Messi said after accepting the trophy from retired Brazilian great Ronaldo.

The only other three-time winners are Ronaldo (1996-97, 2002) and Zinedine Zidane (1998, 2000, 2003). The FIFA award was renamed last year when it merged with France Football’s Golden Ball.

On a night of Barcelona dominance, Pep Guardiola was honored as men’s coach of the year. He was chosen ahead of Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho and Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson.

Among the women, Homare Sawa of Japan ended Brazilian forward Marta’s five-year reign as the top player. American Abby Wambach was a finalist. Sawa led Japan to win the 2011 Women’s World Cup and adds the FIFA prize to those as the tournament’s best player and top scorer.

Messi scored 55 goals in 2011 for Barcelona, which won its third Champions League title in six seasons, and he had four goals for Argentina’s national team. Barcelona won five trophies last year,

Messi received 48 percent of the points in votes cast by national team coaches and captains plus selected reporters. Cristiano Ronaldo finished second with 22 percent and Xavi had 9 percent to finish third for the third straight year.

“This one is very special because I want to share this with my friend and teammate Xavi. He deserves it,” Messi said.

A major international tournament victory is all that now eludes Messi. Guardiola and Ferguson agreed at an earlier news conference that Messi should be considered in the same elite category Pele, Diego Maradona and Alfredo di Stefano.

“Now he can sit beside them,” Guardiola said.

Messi joined Michel Platini in winning the Ballon d’Or for three consecutive years, though the France great won from 1983-85 when only European players were eligible. Platini called Messi “a pearl,” but said he must win soccer’s biggest prize to rival Pele or Maradona.

“Messi will always be great with or without (winning) a World Cup - but the World Cup, it’s something special,” Platini said. “I think the World Cup will stay in the mind of the people.”

Dutch forwards Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten also received three Ballon d’Or awards. Before starting his victory streak, Messi was runner-up twice behind Brazil’s Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi was outscored by Ronaldo in the Spanish league last season - 40 to 31 - but elevated his game in the biggest matches. Xavi described his teammate as “one of the best footballers in the history of the sport.”

“He’s still young. I think he’s probably going to break all the records that exist in the sport,” Xavi said.

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann voted Messi first, followed by Ronaldo and Diego Forlan. American captain Carlos Boacanegra had Messi first, followed by Xavi and Ronaldo. Paul Kennedy of Soccer America, the U.S. media voter, had Messi first followed by Ronaldo and Xavi.

Messi missed a second trophy for the year’s most beautiful goal. Fans voted online from a list of 10 and chose the goal by Brazil forward Neymar in his club Santos’s 5-4 loss against Flamengo last July.

Ferguson received the FIFA presidential award from Sepp Blatter in recognition of his 25 years as manager at Old Trafford. The 70-year-old Scot has won 12 English League and two Champions League trophies.

“It is an honor for it to be given me in the twilight of my life,” he said.

Norio Sasaki was honored as best coach of a women’s team for guiding Japan to its World Cup title. Pia Sundhage, whose U.S. team lost in the final, and France’s Bruno Bini were also on the list.

The Japan Football Association received FIFA’s Fair Play award for its response to the earthquake and tsunami last March.

All three Ballon d’Or nominees were part of the 2011 all-star lineup chosen by the FIFPro group of players’ unions comprising 50,000 members worldwide. They selected a team entirely of Barcelona, Madrid and Manchester United players:

Goalkeeper (Iker Casillas); defense (Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Nemanja Vidic); midfield (Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso); forwards (Messi, Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney).

By GRAHAM DUNBAR, AP Sports Writer

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkbsENyG7b0

www.youtube.com/watch?v=16HUamnrOnY

But before we see the two teams on the field, Audi’s marketing time wanted to give fans an automotive perspective of the match with a special spot titled “La pasión vuelve a dejar huella”.

The video shows two Audi A1 hatchbacks dressed in the colors and liveries of Real Madrid and Barcelona battling it off on the tarmac. You can watch the duel in the video after the break.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvQL8rO7scg

Source: carscoop.blogspot.com

It is a significant achievement for the club as Asia, particularly China, represents a real opportunity in economic terms.

Successfully marketing the AC Milan brand into Asia is critical. Much like it was during the Age of Imperialism, though this time in a much more cordial fashion, most major European clubs are seeking financially rewarding ventures into Asia with the aim of securing a piece of the market share.

With the Eurozone crisis and the fiscal deterioration of the United States, Asia is where new money can be found. This has been known for some time but events ever since the GFC in 2008 and have only made this clearer.

Populations are rising across the region, and as with China, many Asian countries are seeing a rapid increase in the number of middle class citizens, who are the consumers driving their economic growth.

But, even more significant than the award are the numbers that were revealed in regard to Milan’s Chinese success.

The China market accounts for 18 per cent of Adidas Milan’s total business. Milan products sold in China make up 37 per cent of the top clubs sponsored by the German brand, which makes the club number one. An impressive feat considering clubs like Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Real Madrid also wear Adidas equipment.

But, perhaps best of all, it was said that a recent survey conducted by Titan Sports showed that Milan are the best supported foreign club in China with 31 per cent of the local market, ahead of the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United who have long been regarded as the biggest brand in the East.

Not to sound propagandist, but, it shows the great work Milan have been doing in ensuring the economic future of the club by capitalizing on the great brand that is AC Milan.

What has been achieved has not only been the work of AC Milan, but, of the FIGC too who played their role in taking the Italian Super Cup to China this year.

Looking again at some numbers proves that this was a highly successful ploy with the TIM Super Cup being watched by an estimated 72 million viewers in China along and 300 million worldwide. It remains the most watched sporting event in China this year.

The club has also established a Milan School in Hong Kong while there are talks of establishing formal links with two local clubs.

Such developments, which are already proving successful, bode well for the future of AC Milan. It is the Asian century after all and the clubs that will reap the greatest benefits from the region are those that establish themselves within it in the early stages, which is what Milan is doing.

Source: acmilanblog.net

Although financial details behind the deal have not been disclosed, Alvaro Ribeiro has stated that it exceeds the sum of US$10.3 million paid this year. Reports have indicated that the financial institution could pay as much as $13.8 million to remain as Santos’ lead shirt sponsor in 2012. “BMG has renewed with us for a much higher value compared to what was paid this year,” said Alvaro Ribeiro. “Santos have managed to finance an increase in absolute terms. I think it’s a good compromise for both parties.”

The agreement comes as Santos prepares to celebrate its centenary in 2012. The Sao Paulo outfit enjoyed a successful 2011, capturing the Copa Libertadores and Campeonato Paulista titles, and was last week buoyed by the news that Neymar had agreed a new contract. The 19-year-old is the new superstar of the Brazilian game and has been heavily linked with a move to European heavyweights such as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Alvaro Ribeiro added: “Santos gain money with Neymar on three issues: titles, sponsors and fans. It is clear that the value of our shirt with Neymar is different to that without it. But I’m glad we made ​​the agreement (with Banco BMG). I believe 2012 be a year of transition for companies that are going to spend more in 2013 to obtain a higher return during World Cup 2014 here in Brazil.”

Source: timeslive.co.za

Together, the boot graphics will create a striking flicker effect on pitch to stand out in the heat of game day competition.

CR Mercurial Vapor Superfly III features an adaptive traction system that provides extra grip, traction and responsiveness to ensure one of the fastest players in the world capitalizes on the tightest of scoring opportunities.

Directionally positioned blades maximize cutting and allow for quick changes of direction, while secondary toe traction provides added toe-off power for those first critical steps to generate explosive speed. Collectively, these design details allow greater speed and quickness in all directions. The second generation of Nike Flywire technology incorporated into the boot’s streamlined upper provides a lightweight, strong and more dynamic fit.

Inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo’s love for premium white sneakers, his collection brings a new interpretation of the Nike5 Street Gato. Taking a new spin on the classic white in-line version, the Gato CR7 uses a rich color tone for a premium and distinctive look completed with a “7” graphic on the heel representing his playing number.

CR’s classic number 7 is also accented through training and lifestyle items. A distinctive t-shirt featuring 7 stripes across the chest comes in three different colors (white, red and blue) and is made of organic cotton. Special graphic and wash treatments give the V neck tee a touch of CR’s style. The training top features a bold “7” graphic and both top and shorts are made of Dri-FIT ensuring comfortable and focused training sessions. Solar Red GS Polo, blue Aw77 Hoody and grey M65 jacket are also part of CR7 Collection. The collection is rounded out with striking interpretations of the color thematic through a CR7 match ball, shin guards and back pack.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeY9RR0BMz0

Source: Nike

Wi-Fi Stadium

Cisco and Real Madrid C.F. have signed an agreement by which the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium will continue to be a model for leading technology innovation by combining the Club’s sports entertainment vision and state-of-the-art Cisco® Connected Sports Solutions to provide soccer fans with a completely innovative experience.

As the first soccer club in Europe to deploy the Cisco Connected Stadium Wi-Fi solution, Real Madrid C.F. is poised to make the Santiago Bernabeu one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world.

Once the new high density Wi-Fi network is deployed, fans will be able to easily utilise their mobile devices and smart phones to quickly and reliably access several applications specifically designed to engage with the Stadium, as well as accessing Internet and social media during the game. Encouraging fans to use the Connected Stadium Wi-Fi network for Internet connectivity will also help to free up cellular networks, allowing spectators to text and call throughout the games, something that can be challenging nowadays.

Providing new ways to reach fans and enabling enhanced fan experiences:
- Allow fans to share their game-day experiences with the thousands of supporters at the Santiago Bernabéu, and with millions more around the globe, via social media applications easily accessible from their mobile devices.
- Provide customized applications that create an immersive and interactive game-day environment, allowing fans to use their smartphones to engage Real Madrid in a more personalized fashion.
- Help ensure consistent and reliable connectivity to thousands of fans by efficiently off-loading all data traffic and freeing up the entire cellular network bandwidth for phone calls and text messages.
- Provide a new communication channel which Real Madrid staff will be able to use for security and operational purposes and other services, including a better service to the press and other media.
- In addition to this, there’s a whole spectrum of new possibilities to access content and engage with visitors during non-gaming days, especially for the Bernabéu stadium visiting tours.

Cisco will help to build the foundation for a unique visual fan experience at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Through a network of high-definition (HD) displays throughout the stadium, the Cisco StadiumVision solution will provide Real Madrid C.F. with a centrally managed digital media system.

“We are always looking to have cutting-edge technology and security and to offer a unique fan experience,” said Real Madrid C.F. CIO, Enrique Uriel. “When Cisco’s Connected Stadium Wi-Fi and StadiumVision are available at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, Real Madrid C.F. will take the fan experience at the Stadium to another level. These leading solutions will leverage all the potential of a state-of-the-art custom-built, high-speed network and new applications, thereby allowing us to connect and engage our fans in ways never seen before in Europe. We are excited to deliver a more customised game environment and provide fans with new options to interact and share their experiences via their mobile devices.”

 Source: Real Madrid

Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer has surpassed the NBA and NHL in attendance and is now the third-most attended professional sport in America on a per-game basis.

Yep, you read that right.

Sporting News reports that this season, average attendance for the MLS’s 18 teams rose 7.2 percent to 17,872 per game, enough to leapfrog both last season’s NBA (17,323) and NHL average (17,132). The sport, however, is still miles behind the NFL (66,960) and MLB (30,352).

The MLS says that in this nation of immigrants, the world’s most popular sport is booming in the country because of its foreign influence. The teams’ rosters include players from 60 countries. Sixteen percent of MLS players are Latino, no doubt attracting the MLS’ strong Hispanic following that accounts for a third the league’s fan base.

And look so far as any teenage girl’s bedroom wall to know the most famous foreign player of them all: Englishman David Beckham, who transferred nearly five years ago to the league from Spanish giants Real Madrid for a cool $250 million. The LA Galaxy midfielder, whose contract expires after this season, has spectators flocking to stadiums all over the country, and he has paved the way for legends like Frenchman Thierry Henry to join ranks, as well.

Major League Soccer has also made some savvy business moves along the way, signing television deals with networks like ESPN and FOX, and partnering with NBC in 2012.

Finally, the MLS recognized the Northwest as a passionate soccer hotbed (who knew?), aggressively expanding with the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps. The Seattle Sounders lead the league in attendance with 38,496 per game, more than doubling the league average.

The league’s tally surpasses even the inaugural season, when it averaged 17,406 spectators a game. “It’s historic for us — we exceeded our best with 18 teams, and we only had 10 back then,” said MLS President Mark Abbott. “We have Montreal joining next year, and we believe that we will have a very positive story in that market as well.”

And watch out, English Premier League: the MLS is now the tenth-most attended soccer league in the world.

Source: slatest.slate.com

Ronaldo has been a global ambassador for Castrol since 2009, and the partnership with the UEFA EURO 2012 and FIFA World Cup 2014 sponsor has seen the star demonstrate his talents in a series of global initiatives, ranging from putting journalists through their paces in an exclusive training session at Real Madrid’s training ground, to inviting consumers to race against a giant projection of Ronaldo in the ‘Challenge Ronaldo’ event.

Most recently, in the unique hour-long TV documentary ‘Castrol Edge Presents Ronaldo Tested to the Limit’, the world’s leading sports scientists undertook the most rigorous examination of Ronaldo’s skills, strength and agility in a high-performance lab.

Over the next two years, Castrol Edge will continue to give consumers insights into Ronaldo’s ability on the pitch.

Commenting on the partnership, Cristiano Ronaldo said: ‘There are still things that I can learn that will give me an advantage on the pitch, which is why I’m looking forward to continuing my relationship with Castrol Edge. Together we will find new and exciting ways to test and develop my skills and help me strengthen my game.’

Mike Johnson, Castrol executive vice president, added: ‘We’re thrilled that Cristiano has signed with us for a further two years. Just as Ronaldo’s performances inspire confidence in his fans and teammates whenever he steps onto the pitch, Castrol EDGE gives customers the confidence to drive how they want, whenever they want, whatever the conditions.’

‘As we have demonstrated throughout our partnership with Ronaldo, he possesses immense physical and mental strength which gives him the edge over his opponents, and makes him the obvious choice for the Castrol EDGE brand.’

Source: sportindustry.biz