Free Web NovelChapter 513: Chapter 103: Bayern’s Internal Strife! Surpassing Ronaldo! Dortmund’s Strategic Opportunity! The Biggest Sponsorship Deal in History
During the subsequent Q&A with reporters, Hainer did not disclose the specific sponsorship amount.
But he did say, "Believe me, this is the highest individual sponsorship contract in the history of world football!"
This statement ignited the curiosity of every media outlet present.
Despite repeated questioning, there was no official disclosure.
Wang Shuo was just as tight-lipped when answering the question.
Wang Shuo, Shen Qinghe, and Thomas Essien were all very satisfied with the current contract.
It guaranteed an annual sponsorship fee of 10 million euros until 2016.
If Wang Shuo were to win the Golden Ball Award or be named World Footballer of the Year during the contract period, he would receive an additional 3 million euros.
There was also an additional bonus for winning the Champions League.
The maximum he could earn annually was 15 million euros.
And that’s it?
Far from it.
Shen Qinghe had personally led the protracted negotiations.
The proposal to turn Wang Shuo into his own independent sub-brand had come from Shen Qinghe.
Then, for every product sold under this sub-brand, Wang Shuo would receive a share of the profits.
In Shen Qinghe’s view, this share of the revenue would also be very substantial in the future.
Of course, Adidas would also have to invest significant resources into managing this sub-brand.
Currently, the highest individual sponsorship in the European Football Scene belonged to Ronaldo.
In 2009, before Ronaldo’s transfer to Real Madrid, Nike had signed a new sponsorship contract with the Portuguese superstar.
The contract was for 6 million British pounds per year, equivalent to about 7.5 million euros.
There were also additional performance-based bonuses, such as for the Golden Ball Award and World Footballer of the Year.
The specific figure for Beckham’s deal was unknown, but it was thought to be in the high millions, perhaps slightly less than Ronaldo’s.
Messi’s deal was comparatively smaller.
The sponsorship fee the Argentine received from Adidas was also strictly confidential, but outside estimates placed it at around 5 million euros.
This disparity wasn’t due to on-field performance, but rather influence.
Take Wang Shuo’s contract renewal, for example.
The key factor that prompted Adidas to make concessions was the "King of Football bet."
In the wake of that storm, Wang Shuo had demonstrated his immense influence and commercial value.
His online follower count had even surpassed Kaka’s, making him the number one figure in football on Twitter.
And he was still gaining fans at a rapid pace.
Now, he had not only opened a Facebook account but also started a YouTube channel, and his follower counts on both were soaring.
In China, furthermore, Wang Shuo’s follower count on Weibo exceeded 12 million.
The partnership between Adidas and Wang Shuo, in addition to all of the above, also included new media promotion and marketing.
In other words, for the next few years, Adidas also hoped to leverage Wang Shuo’s online influence to help with their marketing and promotions.
And sure enough, right after renewing with Adidas, Wang Shuo immediately shared the news on his Twitter and his domestic Weibo account.
First, he’d won the Golden Boot Award, and now he’d signed the largest sponsorship contract in history. For Wang Shuo, the good news just kept on coming.
...
"Tomorrow, we’re going to Geneva, Switzerland, to sign another contract."
"Sister Jialin is already there getting things ready. We can sign as soon as we arrive. It should only take about a day, so we can make it a round trip."
"The day after tomorrow, people from Gillette US Headquarters will be coming to Dusseldorf to sign with us. The venue has been prepared and the media has been notified. That will also take about a day."
After spending half a day in Heizogen Orlach, Wang Shuo and his team set off back to Dortmund.
In the car on the way back, Shen Qinghe briefed Wang Shuo on the upcoming schedule.
The contract in Switzerland was with the watch brand Rolex.
That’s right—the very same watch brand you always see in the movies.
Chen Jialin came from the Swatch Group. They had previously been in talks with Longines, a brand under Swatch, but Rolex offered better terms. Besides, the Rolex brand was clearly a tier above Longines.
It was just as Shen Qinghe had told Chen Jialin.
Brand endorsements weren’t just about the sponsorship fee; they were also a matter of status.
After the "King of Football bet"—and especially after winning the European Golden Boot Award, combined with his flood of goals this season—Wang Shuo’s status had skyrocketed.
Add to that the backing of the entire Chinese market, and he was an incredibly enticing prospect.
Before negotiating with Gillette, Shen Qinghe had approached the German brand Braun. But in the end, Gillette simply offered a higher price.
The contracts with both Gillette and Rolex were for 2 million euros a year.
This was double the amount of his previous "points-based" contracts, including the one with Zegna.
However, the more sponsorships and endorsements he signed, the more careful Wang Shuo would have to be when going out in public.
For example, according to his contracts with Zegna and Rolex, he would now have to wear their clothes and watch for any formal public appearances.
Thomas Essien had once joked that they should hire someone just to remind Wang Shuo of all these obligations.
Well, now Shen Qinghe, his personal assistant, would be taking on that responsibility as well.
Wang Shuo wondered, ’If I end up endorsing condoms one day, will I have to use their brand exclusively from now on?’
’And if I don’t, how would they even check?’
