Sales of Cristiano Ronaldo’s CR7 underwear boomed following the athlete’s move from Real Madrid to Juventus in 2018, reports Danish news outlet Finans.
According to Michael Alstrup, CEO of JBS, the manufacturer of Ronaldo’s CR7 brand, officials from Juventus have tried to replenish the club’s coffers following the $100 million purchase of the Portuguese player by selling not only Ronaldo’s jersey, but also CR7 products to boost the club’s revenue. And it seems that Italians are crazy about Ronaldo’s undies, as CR7 lingerie has proven to be very popular.
Incidentally, the sales of Ronaldo’s jerseys during the first month after his move helped the Old Lady (Juventus’ moniker) gross back half of what the club spent on him. JBS is also profiting from the five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, as sales of CR7 accounts for 14 percent of the company’s revenue.
CEO Michael Alstrup said that Ronaldo helped the company get through the global economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. According to the contract, JBS is obliged to pay a certain minimum amount of money. However, the athlete’s representatives told the company that it doesn’t have to pay anything until 2021.
Ronaldo, who is reportedly worth $500 million, quite frequently donates money to charities. In 2015, he donated more than $5 million to relief efforts after a devastating earthquake in Nepal that killed over 8,000 people.
The 35-year-old now plans to return to Italy after authorities announced the first steps towards lifting the lockdown. Reports say that teams may return to training by 18 May and that games could resume by the end of next month. However, the Portuguese footballer will still have to spend 14 days in self-isolation once he gets back to Italy.
