According to The Mail, Cristiano Ronaldo could face a UEFA investigation over a potential hidden marketing campaign for his heart rate data posted on social media following Portugal’s penalty shootout win against Slovenia.
It is understood that WHOOP, a sports and health company specializing in wearable technology, is attempting to promote its products or services in this manner. The company’s devices can track a variety of heart rate data, as well as monitor athlete performance data and sleep information. Ronaldo was wearing a wearable device produced by the company during the Euros. It is noteworthy that WHOOP is not an official UEFA sponsor.
Ronaldo’s upload of the heart rate data to social media immediately caused a stir, attracting a great deal of criticism. Ricardo Fonte, a former global sponsorship and marketing expert for Visa and Coca-Cola, wrote on his social media account: “Ronaldo and WHOOP’s actions constitute hidden marketing. This is illegal, and both the player and the company are liable to fines.”
During the 2012 European Championship, a similar incident occurred when Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner intentionally revealed the Paddy Power logo on his underpants after scoring a goal. Following a UEFA investigation, he was fined £80,000 and banned for one match. Ronaldo’s actions could now draw similar intervention from UEFA.
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