Amid all the excitement over David Beckham's move to Real Madrid, one party has been left feeling somewhat diconnected. Mobile phone giants Vodafone, which has an advertising deal with Becks, is said to be concerned about his move to the Spanish club.
Real Madrid is sponsored by another mobile company, Siemens, and a clause in the firm's contract says it can select any squad member to promote its brand. With David being the hot new signing at the club, he would seem the obvious choice for the new season. But Vodafone, which has exclusive rights to use his name, is unlikely to be pleased should Siemens settle on Becks for its publicity campaigns.
"There is some ill-feeling that the Beckham sponsorship may no longer be exclusive," admitted a source at Vodafone.
Siemens, meanwhile, say they are not in competition with Vodafone and have yet to decide which of Real Madrid's many stars will represent them next year. "We don't yet know which player will be chosen," said a spokesperson for the company. "It will be decided before the start of next season."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
