My fresh produce football squad
Here’s my list of famous footballers who have also stepped into the world of fresh fruit marketing. Who would get in your team?
The dramatic and impromptu appointment of tropical fruit grower and former international footballer Fernando Hierro to manage Spain’s national football team got me thinking about who might make it into a squad of soccer stars who have also played a starring role in the fresh produce business. Yes, I know, I need to get out more. However, I know for a fact there are plenty of football fanatics in the fruit and veg business who share my passion for both produce and football. So I’m giving it a go anyway.
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In the meantime, here’s my selection. And if you want to suggest any last-minute additions, just add a comment below!
Simon Mignolet, Belgium — goalkeeper
Having spent most of this season helping to keep the Liverpool substitutes’ bench warm, Mignolet very commendably found time to help out a Belgian charity that supports people with the muscle-wasting disease ALS. Generating some much-needed funding for the group, he agreed to allow his image to be displayed on cartons of pears and apples marketed by Fruit Innovation Farmers. The guy keeping him out of the Liverpool team, Loris Karius, must be kicking himself after letting such a good chance slip through his fingers.
Fabio Cannavaro, Italy — defender
A couple of years after their compatriot and Juventus team-mate Gianluigi Buffon’s own custodianship of Italian apple trademark Melinda (see below), World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and his younger colleague Claudio Marchisio helped promote the brand at the Cibus food and drink exhibition in Parma.
Fernando Hierro [c], Spain — defender
Fernando Hierro’s family-run farm in Andalusia, just east of Málaga, produces mangoes and avocados and is a member of the marketing organisation Trops. In fact, Hierro has even been spotted at industry trade fairs, while it has also been suggested that some other greats of Iberian football — Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Fernando Llorente — share his enthusiasm for Trops-branded mangoes in particular. Since his appointment got me started on this story in the first place, I’m naming him as my captain and placing him at the heart of my defence.
Marcello Lippi, Italy — defender
A colossus of Italian football history, Lippi won the World Cup as manager of the national team in 2006. Nine years later, when he might have assumed he had won everything, he was presented with a Mr Fruitness award by Italian produce giant Orogel and marketing group CSO for his work in support of their healthy eating education projects.
Hasan Salihamidžić, Bosnia & Herzegovina — defender
Nine years ago, Salihamidžić worked alongside one of his Juventus contemporaries, Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira, in support of Italian berry marketer Sant’Orsola. Now sporting director at Bayern Munich, the Bosnian defender marked the start of the 2009 berry campaign by cutting the ribbon on a new cycle track through Valle dei Mòcheni, which is home to around 1,200 of the company’s soft fruit growers.
Tranquillo Barnetta, Switzerland — midfielder
A member of Switzerland’s national squad between 2004 and 2014, Barnetta was photographed enjoying a banana and became a supporter of Fairtrade foundation Max Havelaar around a decade ago.
Hedwiges Maduro, Netherlands — midfielder
Dutch breeder Enza Zaden named one of its most promising new pepper varieties after former Ajax youth player Maduro, who at the time was excelling with Spanish club Valencia. Appropriately for a defensive midfielder, the pepper was a particularly blocky one.
Jay-Jay Okocha, Nigeria — midfielder
Just prior to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Okocha was part of a team of former footballing stars that played a special charity match in the country’s Western Cape, thus helping Dutch fresh produce importer Cool Fresh International to assist disadvantaged children through its Stars in their Eyes foundation.
Nicolas Anelka, France — forward
Banana producers in Guadeloupe and Martinique enlisted the help of French striker Nicolas Anelka in 2005 to give their new, three-year advertising campaign — entitled ‘Rien ne peut le battre’ — a little star quality.
Marcelo Salas, Chile — forward
Salas, a former South American Footballer of the Year and second only to Alexis Sánchez as the Chilean national team’s second-highest goalscorer of all time, told Capital.cl four years ago that he had built up a blueberry export business since his retirement from the game in 2008, a venture which reportedly has customers in the US, Europe and Asia. “When it comes to blueberries, we are one of the largest exporters,” said El Matador. “We are producing around 500,000–600,000 kilos of blueberries. We are already building a packhouse and the cold chain.”
Claudio Pizarro, Peru — forward
At Fruit Logistica 2017 in Berlin, Pizzaro was unveiled as global ambassador for the Superfoods from Peru campaign, a major promotional force when it comes to key fresh produce exports like blueberries, grapes, avocados, mangoes and pomegranates.
Substitutes
Gianluigi Buffon, Italy — goalkeeper
“If I fail as a goalkeeper, I’ll be coming to Trentino to peel apples.” The words of Gigi back in 2008, when he dived into action on behalf of the Italian region’s fruit industry. With a handful of his Juventus buddies, the Azzurri’s most capped player was on hand to defend the reputation of apple brand Melinda at the Salon del Gusto in Turin.
Breel Embolo, Switzerland — forward
Hailing originally from Cameroon and now playing for Switzerland, Schalke forward Breel Embolo recently took up the Fairtrade baton in support of Max Havelaar.
Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira, Italy — forward
Known simply as Amauri, this Italian striker also did his bit for berry consumption back in 2009 as an ambassador for Italian firm Sant’Orsola.
Omar Elabdellaoui, Norway — defender
Martin Ødegaard, Norway — midfielder
Caroline Graham Hansen, Norway — midfielder
Synne Jensen, Norway — forward
All four of these Norwegian national team footballers have featured in promotions for Eat Move Sleep, a special healthy eating campaign organised by leading fresh produce importer Bama.
Any examples of footballers promoting fresh fruit or vegetables that I might have missed? Let me know in the comments below!
