Jesse Sachdeva sports

 Sports Marketing and the
2010 Argentine World Cup Team
Jesse Sachdeva
University of Kansas – LAA 602 – Summer 2010
P a g e | 1 SOCCER IN SOUTH AMERICA
In the United States, we are now entering our fifth decade of being told by the sports punditry that soccer is “about to ‘happen’ in this country.” For a variety of reasons, some of which include greater global integration, the continued growth and expansion of Major League Soccer and shifting domestic demographic and cultural trends, they may finally be right. But for the rest of the world, especially South America, soccer is far more than an upstart, second-­‐tier sport. In Brazil, players are held on pedestals, often referred to by simple, mononymous nicknames such as Pelé, Ronaldinho, and Deco, and revered by people from all walks of life, throughout the country. Conversely, in Colombia, after national team captain Andrés Escobar accidently scored a goal on his own team, causing Colombia’s early elimination from the 1994 World Cup they were favored to win, he was murdered by local drug kingpins who had lost millions betting on the game. While most people fall somewhere in between these extremes, they represent the life-­‐or-­‐death passion and intensity that many South American fans feel with every kick of the soccer ball. Statue of Diego Maradona Erected in honor of winning the 1986 World Cup With soccer’s unique position as a nearly universal cultural touchstone, many businesses are drawn to featuring “the beautiful game” in their advertisements. As the world’s most watched sporting event, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup is the pinnacle of this relationship. Throughout Argentina, both global and domestic companies have sought to develop campaigns that tap into the popularity of both the sport itself and this year’s extraordinarily special Argentine national team. HISTORY: MARADONA AND MESSI
Mural of Maradona and Messi To better understand the hype and promotion surrounding the 2010 Argentine team, we must first delve into the history of this storied program. Known domestically as La Selección (The Selection) and La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue), the Argentine team has been competing internationally since 1901. The team has had a storied competitive history and is currently tied with Uruguay for the most international titles won by a national team with 19 championships (AFA). The team was at the height of its power from the late 1970’s to the early 1990’s under the leadership of star player Diego Maradona. Captaining the 1986 World Cup team through a historic championship run, Maradona gave a career-­‐defining performance in that tournament’s quarterfinal game against England. With tensions still running high between the two countries in the wake of the Falklands War four years earlier, Maradona led Argentina to a 2-­‐1 victory, scoring both goals himself. The first goal, an illegal, but unpenalised handball goal, would come to be known as the “Hand of God Goal.” The image of Maradona knocking this ball in with his hand can be seen in murals and posters throughout Argentina and has become even more iconic and ubiquitous than Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan pose here in the United States. After the game, Maradona coyly said that the ball had gone in “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God,” and the name was born. This would mark the beginning of Maradona’s long time love-­‐hate relationship with the press. The infamous “Hand of God” goal P a g e | 2 Though this goal was met with protest and controversy, Maradona silenced his critics four minutes later by weaving through six English defenders and scoring another goal completely unassisted. A 2002 poll conducted by FIFA.com named this second goal the “Goal of the Century.” This game and the eventual 1986 World Cup title launched Maradona into the Pantheon of Argentine culture. A café in the famous La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires features wood-­‐carved sculptures of the three “patron saints” of Argentina; Former First Lady and “Spirit of the Nation” Eva Perón, Tango King Carlos Gardel and Maradona. However, the Argentine hero was not without his faults. Accusations of doping haunted his later career and following his retirement in 1997, Maradona’s life fell into a tailspin of ill health, overeating, alcohol and cocaine abuse all chronicled in the Argentine tabloids. After suffering a heart attack in 2004, Maradona took steps to turn his life around by entering a rehabilitation clinic, and later, undergoing gastric bypass surgery. By 2005, Maradona had sobered up, slimmed back down and become a popular late night talk show host. One of Maradona’s many animated press conferences When Argentine national team Coach Alfio Basile resigned from his post in 2008, Maradona was quick to announce his interest in the position. Though he had very little coaching experience and a laundry list of personal dramatics, Maradona became the popular choice and was placed in command of the team he had once led to glory as a player. As a coach, Maradona became known for his fiery outbursts in press conferences. Members of the press began to vehemently doubt Maradona’s capabilities after a staggering 6-­‐1 loss to Bolivia in the World Cup qualifiers. When Argentina came back to win the rest of their games and successfully qualify for the World Cup, Maradona boastfully offered his doubters to “s**k it and carry on s**king it.” (goal.com) Though these remarks earned him $23,700 fine and two month suspension from FIFA, Maradona’s outspoken passion and charismatic resolve continue to endear him to the Argentine people. While some are embarrassed by his actions, many still see him as the physical embodiment of both their storied past and a possible bright future ahead. This has made him a viable commercial spokesman, despite his personal troubles. Jen Bensiner of The Houston Chronicle summed up the complex relationship between Maradona and his countrymen by saying, “To understand the gargantuan shadow Maradona casts over his soccer-­‐mad homeland, one has to conjure up the athleticism of Michael Jordan, the power of Babe Ruth, and the human fallibility of Mike Tyson. Lump them together in a single, barrel-­‐chested man with shaggy black hair and you have El Diego, idol to the millions who call him “D10S,” a mash-­‐up of his playing number and the Spanish word for God.” Maradona before and after his gastric bypass surgery Frustration and celebration on the sidelines P a g e | 3 The other force that had Argentine hopes swelling going into the World Cup was that of Lionel Messi. From a young age, Messi had shown great potential despite his relatively small size. At the age of 13, he was recruited to play for FC Barcelona, who offered treatment from a growth hormone deficiency he had suffered from as a child. Making his league debut in 2004 at only 16, Messi led Barcelona to back-­‐
to-­‐back Spanish La Liga League titles and a UEFA Champions Messi playing for FC Barcelona League title within his first two seasons. After riding the bench for much of the 2006 World Cup, Messi really broke out for the Argentine national team at the 2008 Olympic Tournament, leading the team to a gold medal. Following the Olympics, Messi had back-­‐to-­‐back standout years for Barcelona. In 2008-­‐
09, Barcelona won all six trophies on offer, including the Champions League, La Liga and the Club World Cup. All that, plus a 38-­‐goal season, earned Messi the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year Award. His swift playing style and short Messi wearing the number 10 jersey after being granted permission by Maradona stature drew frequent comparisons to Maradona. Excitement was piqued in March 2009, when Maradona himself granted Messi permission to wear his famous number 10 jersey in the upcoming World Cup. Olympic gold medal in 2008 Coming into 2010, Messi seemed poised to take the World Cup by storm. His past FIFA Player of the Year 2009 triumphs had made him into the face of Argentine soccer with his image appearing in billboards and television commercials throughout the country. At only 23, he had received almost every accolade available to a soccer player except, of course, the big one, the World Cup title. Though some in the sport media had questioned whether his heart really lied with his club team, Barcelona, Messi appeared up to facing the pressures his countrymen had laid upon him. GLOBAL CAMPAIGNS IN THE ARGENTINE MARKET
COCA-COLA
While in Argentina, I took note of many global advertising campaigns that had been adapted through various means to fit the Argentine market. One of the first advertisements I noticed upon arrival was for the world’s most recognized brand, Coca-­‐Cola. A digital vending machine in the Buenos Aires airport featured the familiar white Coke swirl accented with Argentine sky blue and the words “Celebramos Más Alementos Juntos, Copa Mundial 2010” (We encourage celebrating together, World Cup 2010) scrolling across. As with most international sporting events, Coke had spared no expense in their World Cup promotion. Billboards in downtown Buenos Aires featured Messi, Carlos Tévez and other national team players embracing in victory with the Celebramos Juntos tagline. Special edition Coke bottles featuring images of the national were available in every Club Social and Open 25 Hours convenience store. Even the Spanish version of the World Cup theme song, “Wavin’ Flag” by South Wavin’ Flag (Coca-­‐Cola Spanish Celebration Remix African rapper K’naan, was branded the “Coca-­‐Cola Spanish Limited edition Coca-­‐Cola bottles featuring the “Celebramos Juntos” campaign The Argentine team wearing jerseys featuring the Coca-­‐Cola logo while sitting in front of signage promoting Powerade P a g e | 4 Celebration Remix.” Also heavily promoted in Coke’s Argentine advertisements was its sports drink product, Powerade, through domestic billboards and in-­‐stadium signage featured on location in South Africa. The World Cup’s messages of global unity through sport formed a natural fit with Coke who naturally saw the Cup as an opportunity to further establish their image as a global brand. PEPSI
Not to be outdone, Coke’s number one competitor PepsiCo had thrown its support behind the national, albeit not quite as prominently. Though they released special Messi edition Gatorade bottles and national team branded cans, Pepsi lacked many of the promotional contracts that Coke had obtained and were not nearly as omnipresent. One way in which Pepsi chose to combat this issue was Argentina branded Pepsi can and Special through a publicity stunt promising to drop the labels on Edition Messi Gatorade their bottles for a week if Coach Maradona made good on The “Pepsi Goes Naked” a promise to “run naked around the Obelisk in the middle of downtown Buenos Aires” print ad if Argentina won the World Cup. They promoted the campaign with print ads reading “If the Coach Goes Naked, We Will Too. Pepsi Promises.” By tapping into Maradona’s vibrant persona without directly featuring him, Pepsi is able to craft a playful and youthful campaign in line with their past messaging such as “The Choice of a New Generation” and its various iterations. BUDWEISER
Playing upon the long and bitter rivalry between Argentina and Brazil, Budweiser developed an ad that was sure to make Argentine fans smile. The spot features a pseudo-­‐Brazil playing a pseudo-­‐Argentina. The game has come down to one final penalty kick. The Brazilian fans attempt to distract the goalie by holding up placards forming the image of a hula dancer. The Brazilian striker sneers deviously as he prepares to strike. The Argentine fans counter by holding up their own placards forming the image of an ice cold Budweiser. The trick works and the dumbfounded striker kicks wide right as the Argentine fans celebrate, Budweisers in hand. The ad was so popular that it ran in several international markets including the US and UK. Presumably not Brazil, though. ADIDAS
The Adidas logo has featured prominently on all Argentine national team jerseys and apparel dating back to the 1994 World Cup. In addition to being the official “kit” (uniform) sponsor, Adidas also prominently feature Messi their Argentine market advertisements. In an international campaign which bestowed each Adidas-­‐sponsored country’s star player with a superhero-­‐esque nickname. Messi appears as “The Spark,” mentally preparing to weave through defenders wearing his Argentina blue Adidas F50 cleats as lightning flashes and thunder sounds in the background. Another ad for the special edition Messi F50 cleats, shown to the right, reads “Only wear the F50 if you can cope with all eyes being on you,” coyly referencing the pressure facing Messi. P a g e | 5 HYUNDAI
As one of the lead international sponsors of the 2010 World Cup, Hyundai have organized street cheering sites known as Hyundai Fan Parks in 32 cities in 19 countries, including San Martín Plaza in Buenos Aires. The parks featured displays chronicling the 18 past World Cups, musical performances, The Hyundai Fan Park in San Martín games, contests, awards and, of course, giant high-­‐
Plaza, Buenos Aires definition screens broadcasting every World Cup game. According to a Hyundai press release the contests included “The Fan of the Match, giving one lucky winner the chance to be named best fan at the match, will be introduced to the crowd on the giant screens, while the winner of the Be There With Hyundai, the team slogan contest for participating countries, will be awarded, both with great prizes.” (Hyundai.com) Promotional Displays in the Hyundai Fan Park CLARO
Mexican-­‐owned telecom provider Claro have invested heavily in the Argentine team, enough to earn a place alongside Adidas and Coca-­‐Cola on the team’s jerseys and warm-­‐up jackets. Claro has also featured national team players such as team captain Javier Mascherano. Having recently rebranded themselves from their former name CTI Móvil, Claro sought association with the national team to improve recognition for their new brand name. Claro billboard featuring team captain Javier Mascherano CAMPAIGNS FEATURING DOMESTIC COMPANIES
TYC SPORTS
Domestic sports communication firm TyC Sports crafted a somewhat dark, self-­‐deprecating yet hopeful spot to promote their coverage of the World Cup. The ad begins with Argentines lamenting the state of affairs in their country. After nearly 80 years of political and economic instability, they talk of envying the cushy retirement of the Swedes, the laid-­‐back life of the Spaniards and the cleanliness of the Germans. One man even goes so far as to say the country may be a “hopeless cause.” The commercial then switches to men conversing around the world speaking in awed terms of the Argentine soccer culture. “They throw millions of confetti, every time their team enters the field! No matter if their winning or losing, they don’t stop singing and dancing! His ankle was the size of your neck and yet he still continued to play! They don’t play with their legs, they play with their hearts!” The ad seeks to heal an Argentine national psyche still wounded by their past struggles. It seeks to connect passion for sport with national pride through the slogan: “En TyC Sports, Argentina es más Argentina, El Mundial es más Mundial.” (In TyC Sports, Argentina is more Argentina; The World Cup is more World Cup.) P a g e | 6 QUILMES
Widely declared as Argentina’s favorite beer, Quilmes’ identity is almost inseparable from Argentine national pride and, by extension, the national team. In a situation similar to the one encountered by Anheuser-­‐Busch in 2008, Quilmes was purchased by Belgian mega-­‐corporation AB InBev. Despite this, Quilmes has not lost its position as one of Argentina’s most iconic brands. Building upon the wave of national pride stemming from the 2010 Argentine Bicentennial and the World Cup team, Quilmes took a multi-­‐front approach featuring billboards, in-­‐game signage, and a center piece TV spot. The spot features Argentines from all walks of life, throughout the country, coming together to sing the tune of the National Anthem. Conducting the choir from the eastern coastline cliffs of Patagonia is a Maradona-­‐
esque figure. In Argentina, Quilmes has achieved a nearly omnipresent status, appearing in every sports arena, every restaurant, and every corner store, much like Budweiser in the United States. YPF
One of the more odd commercial pairings among the various World Cup campaigns was a series of print, television and internet spots for oil company YPF featuring popular Argentine comic character, Clemente. Resembling an armless cross between a bee and a frog, Clemente is wisecracking, sarcastic yet likeable character in the vein of Bugs Bunny and Garfield. Clemente was created by cartoonist Carlos “Caloi” Loiseau and has been featured on the comics page of Clarín since the early 1970’s. The ads feature a horde of Clemente look-­‐alikes descending upon a soccer stadium in preparation for Argentina’s next big match. Once assembled at the stadium, Clemente, clad in a sky blue and white cape and bandana, introduces the opposing fans. A crowd of stereotypical opposing fans then proceeds to sing a tongue-­‐in-­‐cheek song about why their team and country is so much better. Some of the Screenshots from the various YPF ads featuring characterizations would be Clemente considered borderline offensive in the politically correct environment of the US, but air without resistance in the more relaxed Argentine media. The ads are playful and catchy, ending with YPF declaring themselves “Hicha Oficial de La Seleccion” (Official fan/supporter of the national team.) Ads were developed for traditional rivals Brazil and Spain, as well as each country Argentina was facing in the World Cup. Though the ad says nothing of YPF’s actual business as an oil company, it does portray them in a positive light through association with the fun and good Clemente and company meet the Brazilian fans natured ribbing that exists between soccer fans. P a g e | 7 CULTURAL SATURATION: MY WORLD CUP 2010 EXPERIENCE
ARG vs. SOUTH KOREA - THE WORLD SHUTS DOWN
When we arrived in Argentina, flag-­‐waving was at an all-­‐time high. With the one-­‐two punch of the Bicentennial celebration a few weeks earlier and the start of the World Cup, the sky blue and white were everywhere you looked. Souvenir shops featured number 10 Messi jerseys and everything else from track jackets to underwear, some more authentic than others. Many surprising local retailers had also jumped on the World Cup bandwagon. My personal favorite was a high-­‐end clothing store that played on the famous “¡Vamos, Vamos Argentina, Vamos, Vamos a Ganar!” chant by encouraging consumers to “¡Vamos, Vamos a Comprar!” (Let’s go, Let’s go shop!) When I scrolled through the channels on the hotel TV the first night, I counted seven TV networks with dedicated 24-­‐hour coverage of the World Cup during the group stages. I even stumbled upon Messi appearing dressed as a superhero on a children’s television show. Attending the viewing party for Argentina’s second game against South Korea at the Hyundai Fan Park in San Martín Plaza was an enlightening experience. Shops throughout downtown had either shut down completely or were manned by solely by employees glued to miniature TV sets behind the register. Restaurants and bars were packed with patrons watching devotedly and all of this at 8:30 in the morning on a Wednesday. During this game, we had the misfortune of being in transit each time Argentina scored a goal, but we were close enough to see the confetti soaked aftermath as Argentina scored their fourth and final goal on South Korea. ARG vs. GREECE - “SAN” PALERMO
I took special care to watch the various sports networks for updated storylines during the cup and my favorite came after the third game against Greece while we were in Mendoza. Having already secured Argentina a place in the round-­‐of-­‐16, Maradona chose to rest all of his starters for the Greece game, except for Messi who had insisted on playing. This gave third-­‐
string forward Martín Palermo, the oldest player on the team Maradona embraces Palermo following the goal at 36, his first chance to play in a World Cup game. Palermo had struggled through his career, plagued by injuries and bouncing around between teams before finally finding success recently with the Boca Juniors club. When Palermo came into the game in the second half, Argentina led 1-­‐0 but was struggling to hold back a resurgent Greek team. With one minute left in regulation time, Palermo broke through the Greek defenders and scored to put Argentina up 2-­‐0 and send them undefeated into the round-­‐of-­‐16. In the after game coverage that evening, Palermo had been branded “San” or Saint Palermo. For hours, Argentine fans outside the stadium in South Africa chanted his name. Palermo’s face appeared on magazine covers on newsstands throughout the country in the following weeks. Palermo’s story seemed ripped from an American sports movie, proving that a heartwarming tale can touch people regardless of continent or language. Palermo graces a magazine cover P a g e | 8 ARG vs. MEXICO - THE NEVERENDING HORNS
Following Argentina’s convincing 3-­‐1 defeat of Mexico the following weekend, the team looked unstoppable. Raucous celebrating spilled into the streets of Mendoza for hours following the match. Horns were honked, flags were waved, and, for a time, it appeared that the risks of hiring Maradona Carlos Tevez scores the second of his two goals vs. Mexico had begun to pay off. Some concerns were raised over Messi’s relatively quiet performance, no goals but several assists after four games, but for the most part, celebrations were in order throughout the country. Even the game commentators were unable to keep their journalistic bias in check, as they repeatedly shouted “¡Vamos Argentina! ¡Vamos a los ochos!” (To the round-­‐of-­‐eight!) in closing minutes of the game. Unfortunately, this was the last game I was able to follow in Argentina as we returned to the US before the Fans celebrate in the streets of Mendoza quarterfinal showdown with Germany. ARG vs. GERMANY - A ROUGH DAY
The Saturday after we returned, I woke up bright and early at 8:30 AM to watch the coverage of the Argentina-­‐Germany game on ESPN. This game provided me with an excellent opportunity to cross-­‐examine the American coverage of the games I had witnessed in Argentina. After two weeks of bombastic commentators shouting “MESSI!” every time he touched the ball and letting loose a wild “Goooooooooooaaaaalllll!!!!!” with every score, the droll, British styling of ESPN’s Martin Tyler failed to impress. Paul the Psychic Octopus predicts Argentina’s early exit from the World Cup Pre-­‐game tensions were high as Argentina and Germany had last met in the quarterfinal of the previous World Cup, hosted by Germany, in 2006. That game had ended in a heated penalty kick shootout won by Germany, and followed by a bench-­‐clearing postgame brawl between the two teams. This time around, Argentina had the odds stacked against them. Germany’s unofficial mascot, Paul the Psychic Octopus, who German players Miroslav Klose and Per Mertersacker had correctly predicted the celebrate as Messi looks on in frustration. outcome of all of Germany’s matches by picking a mollusk from a container adorned with the winning country’s flag, had predicted Argentina’s defeat. But even Paul could not have foreseen the misery that was to come for La Albiceleste. After jumping out to an early 1-­‐0 lead, Germany brought the hammer down on Argentina. The Germans scored three second half Maradona walks off the pitch, “a broken man”, after the match against Germany. goals en route to a 4-­‐0 humiliation of the Argentine team that had held such promise. P a g e | 9 MOVING FORWARD: WHAT’S NEXT FOR ARGENTINA?
In the wake of their surprising defeat, Argentina has had to take time to reassess. The loss had once again called into question Maradona’s job performance and speculation ran wild as to whether or not he would be replaced. On July 15th, Argentine Football Association President Julio Grondona announced an offer to renew Maradona’s contract through the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. (ESPN.com) The ultimate decision lay with Maradona. As usual, many were dismissive of Maradona’s abilities while others, including Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner came out in support. Late in the day on July 20th, reports began to surface that Maradona would stay on as the Argentine coach, with official word to be released the following the week. (ESPNsoccernet.com) If the coaching situation is, in fact, settled, the next big challenge awaiting the Argentine team and the redemptive test for Maradona will be the Copa América in 2011 that Argentina will host. For Argentina, the previous to Copas América in 2004 and 2007 ended in bitter second place finishes to archrival Brazil and a 2011 victory on home soil would go a long way toward restoring confidence. Messi will be 27, the typical “prime” age for soccer players, at the time of the next World Cup. At that age, he will likely still be the face of the Argentina both on the field and in advertisements. Well aware of the fact that he will need a World Cup title to join the soccer pantheon with the likes of Pelé and Maradona, the pressure will no doubt fall on his shoulders once again. Barring any unforeseen events, the 2014 Argentine team should have a lot in common with 2010 team; coached by Maradona, led by Messi and hopefully in the hunt once again. UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS FOR
THE ARGENTINE NATIONAL TEAM:
Copa América 2011 2012 Summer Olympics 2014 FIFA World Cup P a g e | 10 TyC Sports: “It’s Cultural”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTWe1xLbPRo Swiss Medical: Maradona responds to his critics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExUd6rBl_y4&feature=watch_response
Quilmes: “Himno”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQru4MgWsNk YPF: Clemente meets the fans of Brazil
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-­‐JEq636Pi18 YPF: Clemente meets the fans of Spain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sYzm-­‐7xcik&feature=related Adidas: Messi is “The Spark”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrvu-­‐nxBBHw Budweiser: “Penalty Kick”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh-­‐-­‐OWsGt8o Coca-Cola: “Wavin’ Flag (Coca-Cola Spanish Celebration Remix)”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXUr4rh2LRE ESPN Sportscenter: Lionel Messi, Sports Expert
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9rNtD7Iq-­‐M Pepsi: Messi vs. the Meerkats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY4D_mt0PH8&NR=1 P a g e | 11 Associated Press. "Report: Diego Maradona to remain Argentina's coach." ESPN. 20 July 2010. 21 July 2010 <http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/5396412/diego-­‐maradona-­‐remain-­‐
argentina-­‐coach>. Bensinger, Jen. "Maradona puts his Legacy on the Line at the World Cup." The Houston Chronicle 8 June 2010. "HYUNDAI FAN PARK OFFICIALLY STARTS WITH THE OPENING GAME OF THE 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP." Hyundai Motor Company | Worldwide Official Website. 14 June 2010. 19 July 2010 <http://worldwide.hyundai.com/company-­‐overview/news-­‐
view.aspx?idx=279&nCurPage=1&strSearchColunm=&strSearchWord=&ListNum=195>. "Kick It Up A Notch: World Cup Final Ads Costing Around $250,000." SportsBusiness Daily. 21 June 2010. 15 July 2010 <http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/140176>. Klosterman, Chuck. ""The BS Report: 5/24"" Interview by Bill Simmons. The BS Report with Bill Simmons. 24 May 2010. ESPN Radio.com. 25 May 2010 <http://go.espn.com/page2>. Longman, Jere. "Complicated Tango for Argentina’s Coach and Star." The New York Times. 21 June 2010. 17 July 2010 <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/17/sports/soccer/17maradona.html>. "Maradona hands Messi Argentina’s key number 10 jersey." Thaindian News. 28 Mar. 2009. 14 July 2010 <http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sports/maradona-­‐hands-­‐messi-­‐argentinas-­‐
key-­‐number-­‐10-­‐jersey_100172607.html>. "Number 10 flops at World Cup." SPORT24. 4 July 2010. 16 July 2010 <http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/WorldCup/TournamentNews/Number-­‐10-­‐flops-­‐at-­‐World-­‐
Cup-­‐20100704>. Schweimler, Daniel. "Argentina hurt but not ashamed by Messi and Maradona's return." Guardian.co.uk. 6 July 2010. 18 July 2010 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/jul/06/world-­‐cup-­‐2010-­‐letter-­‐from-­‐
argentina>. Wentz, Laurel. "Pepsi Will Drop Its Label if Argentina Wins World Cup." Advertising Age. 16 June 2010. 20 July 2010 <http://adage.com/globalnews/article?article_id=144488>.