FMF to block players from competing sponsors

FMF will pay some of the National Team players to keep them from filming commercials for brands that are competitors to sponsoring brands of the Mexican National Team.

Mexico’s El Financiero reports that about 10 Mexican National Team players we be paid annually in order to keep the players from filming commercials with brands that don’t sponsor the Mexican National Team.
Rodrigo Lopez, merchandising director for FMF, stated that “we are covering the players that are the most coveted in the National Team, players like Giovanni Dos Santos, Carlos Vela, Pavel Pardo, Oswaldo Sanchez and Refael Marquez, among others. This way we can assure exclusivity to our sponsors."

This news shouldn’t surprise anyone that follows “El Tri”. FMF had to take action after last year’s incident in which Lavolpe along with Kikin Fonseca and Rafael Marquez filmed a commercial for Pepsi, while Coca Cola was the El Tri’s official sponsor. Coincidently, Lavolpe also appeared in El Tri’s Coca Cola commercial which aired two days earlier. Pepsi contracted Lavolpe along with 5 other MNT player right before the 2006 World Cup. There are no rules prohibiting a player or coach from signing an individual commercial contract.

Marquez and Dos Santos are currently signed to Nike. Adidas is the official sponsor for the Mexican National Team. Marquez and Kikin Fonseca are also spokesmen for Pepsi, while Coca Cola continues to sponsor El Tri.
FMF better be careful. If it is ever even theorized that Sanchez is selecting players based on what sponsors they are signed to, it might blow up in FMF’s face.