John Terry will not be the only one on tenterhooks tomorrow as Fabio Capello returns to London to decide his future as England captain. Sports sponsorship experts said today that recent revelations about his private life would hit Terry's future earnings, and brands associated with the Chelsea defender would want to see how the coach's decision played out in the media, and whether there were any other revelations to come, before making a decision.
Umbro, the sports brand that is England's kit supplier and is now owned by Nike, refused to comment today on its £4m endorsement deal with Terry, while England's sponsor, Nationwide, has made clear it sponsors the team rather than individuals.
Branding experts expect Nationwide and Samsung, the Korean electronics firm that recently extended its Chelsea sponsorship until 2013, to quietly drop Terry's image from campaigns while they gauge public opinion.
Jonathan Neill, sponsorship PR director at Generate, said: "Despite John Terry's past indiscretions, in recent years he has moulded his image on being a family man and the allegations have certainly damaged this reputation. The revelations will almost certainly affect his role as England captain, a position that requires a completely clean image.
"At the moment, his sponsors will be monitoring the press closely, waiting to see whether public opinion will soften towards him. Having invested so much in Terry, with the World Cup fast approaching, his sponsors will be reluctant to withdraw at this point."
Capello will arrive back in London tomorrowfrom Switzerland, where he has been recuperating from knee surgery, into a media storm over the future of his captain sparked by Terry's alleged affair with the former partner of his England team-mate Wayne Bridge. He is expected to speak to his right-hand man, Franco Baldini, on Friday afternoon, before talking to Terry and deciding his future. Capello and Baldini will leave for the Euro 2012 draw in Warsaw on Saturday morning and want to have the issue resolved by then.
The furore over Terry has been intensified by previous tabloid exposés, including allegations he was paid £10,000 to give a private tour of Chelsea's training ground, and that he tried to suppress details of the affair by taking out a super-injunction. England captain and his worth as a footballer, which commands a weekly salary in excess of £150,000, Terry has surprisingly few personal endorsement deals. Some put this down to his advisors – since splitting from former agent Aaron Lincoln last year he has been looked after by Elite Management, run by his former Chelsea youth team colleague Paul Nicholls and Rushden & Diamonds chairman Keith Cousins.
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sources: www.guardian.co.uk
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