Vinicius Jr takes matters into own hands with blackout boots after Nike row

02 February 2023 , 21:56

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Vinicius Junior changed his boots at half-time (Image: Getty Images)

Vinicius Junior wore a pair of plain black boots during Real Madrid's game against Valencia at the Bernabeu on Thursday night - as his row with Nike rumbles on.

Vinicius, 22, wants to end his 10-year partnership with the American company, but there is no termination clause in his contract and the two parties have reportedly struggled to agree a solution. However, the Brazilian appeared to take matter into his own hands on Thursday night.

Vinicius took to the pitch ahead of the LaLiga clash against Valencia wearing 'blackout' boots, which do not include any branding. Nike have not publicly responded to the forward's act of defiance, although he did put on a pair of Nike boots for the second half.

The Champions League winner first became a Nike athlete in 2013, when he was viewed as a future superstar in Flamengo's academy. That prophecy has certainly come true, as Vinicius has become one the biggest footballers in Europe during the last two years.

Vinicius joined Real from Flamengo in the summer of 2018 but it took him a few years to establish himself as a key member of the squad. Therefore, he was still viewed as a future prospect when he signed a 10-year extension with Nike in 2018.

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A lot has changed since then. Vinicius is now one of the most marketable footballers on the scene and boasts 29 million followers on Instagram. He is also popular on other social media platforms - including Twitter, where he has 5.6 million followers.

Vinicius Junior wore 'blackout' boots against Valencia (Getty Images)

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Vinicius believes his current terms with Nike are not a true reflection of his rising status in the game and wants to sign a more lucrative deal elsewhere. The 20-cap international's lawyers have working on a termination with Nike, but it is unclear whether that has been finalised.

This is not the first time Vinicius has protested against Nike. At the World Cup in Qatar, he wore an old pair of boots instead of the Mercurial XV - Nike's marque boots for the tournament. Vinicius has also taken the Nike branding off his social media accounts.

Vinicius' agreement with Nike has made it harder for him to participate in Real's adverts because they sponsored by Adidas - Nike's biggest rivals. The Spanish giants had a similar problem when Cristiano Ronaldo, who is a Nike athlete, was their star player.

Several high-profile footballers have left the Nike family in recent years - including Neymar (joined Puma), Raheem Sterling (New Balance) and Sergio Ramos (Mizuno). "Vini’s contract with Nike has expired," a source close to Vinicius told The Athletic.

"We are in no hurry to sign with another brand. The key for us is to find the right company that appreciates and believes in Vini and is willing to invest in his brand through campaigns and activation worldwide."

It could be a while before Vinicius agrees a new boot deal with a different company.

Tom Blow