Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – Marcus Rashford & Nike

Every Monday we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.

HIT – MARCUS RASHFORD

What started as a difficult week became one of triumph for Marcus Rashford, the first person to earn our Hit accolade on two occasions.

We’ve already spoken about the Manchester United and England striker’s campaigning work to end child hunger which led to u-turns from the UK government.

Carrying one if not two injuries, Rashford was part of the United team who suffered a shock defeat in the Europa League final against Spanish minnows Villareal.

Sadly and predictably, Rashford was abused by keyboard trolls who targeted him after the defeat leading him to tweet: “At least 70 racial slurs on my social accounts counted so far. For those working to make me feel any worse than I already do, good luck trying.”

The abuse he suffered even prompted Manchester United to issue a statement of solidarity to support the player who was clearly distraught at the manner of United’s defeat.

“We are proud of the man that you have become and the player that you have become. You were clearly hurting, both emotionally and physically, but your words hit home, to every true Manchester United fan.

“Your words give us hope on a difficult day at the very end of a tough, draining season and they give us belief that you and your team-mates will do everything they can next season to follow the process, continue to work hard, sacrifice and fight to deliver trophies to the club once more.”

But the week ended well for Rashford when he took part in a Zoom call with former U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss the influence young people can have to change society.

Rashford said: “I genuinely feel that if you give someone a helping hand at a young age, they’ll go on to do things that even they didn’t believe were achievable.

“For me it’s just setting them in the right direction and allowing them to go and do things bigger than anyone could imagine.

"I see in the younger kids that they are a lot more confident, they speak a lot more freely. And I just want to promote that really. Protecting the next generation, and what I mean by that is let's give them the voice that they actually have because a lot of the time, they do have voice but they don't understand how powerful their voice is and how powerful their opinions are.

"So a lot of the time, I'm just there to listen, and I always try to make changes and try and do things that my community wants just to give them a little push in the right direction.

“I genuinely feel like if you give someone a helping hand, at a young age, they'll go on to do things even they didn't think or believe was achievable to accomplish."

It speaks volumes for the impact Rashford has had not just in the world of football but extending to the highest echelons of international current affairs, that President Obama was so full of praise for the footballer.

President Obama said: “A lot of the young people I meet – including Marcus – they’re ahead of where I was when I was 23. They’re already making changes and being positive forces in their communities.

“When you look at the history of big social movements and big social change, it’s usually young people who initiate this.

“Even if you do something positive on a small scale, that's making a difference, and it's the accumulation of people doing positive things over time that makes us a little bit better with each successive generation.

"From what I've read about what Marcus is doing, he's taken his own experiences and realized: 'Well, look, I've now been blessed. I now have the good fortune of being this prominent footballer and people pay attention to what I say. How do I give back? How do I take what I know about living in modest means, not having enough to eat all the time -- there are kids like that who are feeling that same way -- what can I do for them?'

"And like Marcus, we all find our own paths to that service. But if enough people do that, that's how progress gets made.

"Marcus is a good example of somebody who was passionate at a sport, excelled in it, it gave him a platform and now he's looking for new challenges alongside it with still being one of the best in his sport."

Full credit to Rashford, that despite his on-field focus and the many causes he campaigns for, he still wants to help to empower the next generation and inspire them to become the best versions of themselves.

The fact that President Obama also recognises Rashford’s efforts suggests the young forward is doing a pretty good job so far.

MISS – NIKE

Sportswear giant Nike ended its 15-year sponsorship agreement with Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar back in September 2020 but it wasn’t until more than nine months later that they revealed the reasons why.

In May 2021, Nike cited the Brazilian forward's refusal to co-operate in an investigation relating to an allegation of sexual assault made against him as their reasoning for the split.

Why did Nike wait so long to give the exact reasons for the partnership ending? And, considering when the allegation was made, why did it take so long for them to drop Neymar all together?

That delay provided an information vacuum which was filled with speculation, innuendo and conjecture, which is rarely beneficial for a big brand for whom reputation and integrity are key values.

At the time, it was widely reported in 2020 that the pair couldn’t agree on the financial terms of a renewal for his contract, which was initially due to run until 2022, and the separation was not related to sexual assault allegations.

In a statement clarifying their position, Nike stated: “Nike was deeply disturbed by sexual assault allegations made by one of our own employees against Neymar Jr.

“From the very beginning, we have treated the employee's allegations and her experience with great seriousness.”

The allegation was lodged by a Nike employee back in 2018, before the US company launched an internal investigation the following year.

So why then did Nike commit to a sponsorship deal with PSG in 2019, a year after first receiving the complaint from the employee, knowing full well that Neymar is the face of the club they were agreeing to pour money into? 

The delays in addressing the issues meant Nike have come out of this appearing to have hedged their bets rather than taking the moral high ground at the first opportunity.

If they had wanted to be seen as treating the allegation with the upmost seriousness, Nike should have clearly stated the reasons behind the decision at the time.

The PSG star has since gone on to sign with Puma, in the biggest individual sports sponsorship contract in history, worth an estimated $25 million.

But Nike will continue to be the jersey sponsor for both Neymar’s club PSG (until at least 2032) and the Brazilian national team, meaning its logo will still appear on shirts worn by Neymar that also bear his name and his number.

And considering he has just signed a new contract that will keep him in the French capital until 2025, Nike and Neymar will still have some form of affiliation for some time yet.

Neymar has always denied the allegations and has voiced his anger at Nike. In a post from his Instagram account, Neymar said:

“I really don't understand how a serious company can distort a business relationship that is supported by documents. Written words cannot be modified. They are very clear. Leave no doubt!

“I was not given the opportunity to defend myself. I was not given the opportunity to know who this person was who was offended. I don't even know her. I've never had a relationship. I didn't even have a chance to talk, to know the real reasons for his pain. That person, an employee, was not protected. I, a sponsored athlete, was not protected.”

That post has been liked more than 1.6 million times, which again does not help the credibility of the sportswear brand on the issue.

The inconsistency from Nike and their failure to clarify the reasoning for the split with Neymar until almost a year later, is a disaster in communications with consumers caring deeply about the values and actions of the brands they tend to buy or associate themselves with.