OpinionCristiano Ronaldo to Juventus could shift balance of power to Serie A from La Liga in Hong Kong and Asia
As the era of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi comes to a close, Spain’s La Liga faces a fight to ensure its global brand does not suffer
If you needed an example of the significant marketing power of Cristiano Ronaldo, just take a minute to consider a few of the following numbers.
After Ronaldo’s shock transfer to Juventus for a reported €105 million [HK$958 million] was announced on Tuesday, the Italian Serie A club’s stock price shot up 20 per cent.
Juventus’ social media numbers have also skyrocketed – they’ve gained nearly 1.5 million followers on Instagram, over one million new followers on Twitter and more than half a million followers on Facebook.
Perhaps more significant is that Real Madrid, who have enjoyed nine trophy-laden years with Ronaldo as their talisman, lost one million followers on their social media platforms within 24 hours of announcing Ronaldo’s departure.
In this modern era of football, where many fans support star players from club to club rather than sticking with any one team, letting the 33-year-old go may backfire on and off the pitch for Madrid.