Under Armour Expands Soccer Presence, Signs Spain National Team Player Pedro Porro
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Under Armour is pushing further into the soccer (or global football) category, and adding another top player to its growing roster of athletes.
The company on Thursday announced that it has signed Tottenham Hotspur and Spain National Team player Pedro Porro to its elite roster of soccer professionals. Porro has been playing in the brand’s recently launched Shadow Elite 2 boots throughout the last month and will continue to do so. When not playing, Porro will don additional Under Armour sportswear products.
“It’s really exciting to become part of the Under Armour team,” Porro said in a statement. “Under Armour is constantly looking to strive for more and that mirrors the approach I have to my game. There’s no doubt that this partnership will support me achieve my full potential as an athlete.”
The signing marks Under Armour’s commitment to growing its presence in the Spanish market amid broader momentum in EMEA, it said in a release. In February. Under Armour hired Kevin Ross as its new senior vice president, managing director of EMEA to grow the brand’s presence and profitable growth in the region.
“Pedro is a great addition to our rapidly expanding roster of football athletes in EMEA, as we continue to drive our offering in football across our key markets,” Ross said in a statement. “We look forward to helping him take his game and career to the next level.”
Porro joins the brand’s growing roster of athletes that includes Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger, AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw, Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah and FC Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez.
In its most recently reported third quarter, Under Armour’s revenue in EMEA grew 7 percent to $284 million, driven by a strong DTC business in retail and e-commerce. EMEA wholesale business grew in the quarter as well.
“In global football, we’re leveling up our roster with some of the best up-and-coming talent at the highest levels of sport,” Under Armour’s former chief executive officer Stephanie Linnartz said in a February call with analysts before she stepped down from the role in March. “As we look to grow relevance in the world’s most popular sport, this marks a significant move to bolster our presence. So we are very excited about the possibilities this brings in the years ahead.”
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