Cristiano Ronaldo absent as Real Madrid launch new shirt
The Portugal forward has expressed doubts about his future
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo does not appear in the club's promotional material for their new shirt for the 2018-19 season.
Ronaldo, who is usually the image of Madrid on a marketing level, has disappeared on this occasion as the club launched their new shirt with Adidas on Tuesday.
The Portugal forward does not appear in the publicity campaign, the photo gallery or the promotional video. His absence has given way to all types of speculation given his comments after Saturday's Champions League final.
As well as not appearing in the promotional campaign, he doesn't appear in the online shop, either. The only thing there is his number on the back of shirt. The rest of the players, including coach Zidane, appear alongside the shirts which can be purchased.
Bale, YES
In contrast, Wales forward Gareth Bale, the hero in Kiev against Liverpool, is present, despite the reports about him leaving this summer -- he's expressed a desire to leave if he's not given a bigger part next season.
However, the absence of one and not the other could be a simple sponsorship matter. While Ronaldo works with Nike, Bale works with Adidas. Therefore, in the initial promotions, the players who, like Madrid, work with Adidas are usually more likely to be present.
It's also the case with Karim Benzema, Marcelo Vieira, Sergio Ramos, Isco Alarcón, Marco Asensio, Nacho Fernández, Gareth Bale, Keylor Navas and Kiko Casilla on this occasion.
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