Bendtner punished by UEFA for ambush marketing
The fine and punishment were levied by the UEFA after Bendtner revealed a “Paddy Power” brand name across his underpants waistband while celebrating a goal during the match. Employing strict rules against guerilla marketing tactics the UEFA has handed down a heavy punishment to the Danish player.
Bendtner has been banned for one match and fined for allegedly employing ambush marketing during the Denmark v Portugal game last week.
Brendtner is sure to be sore with a ban for one match in his next eligible World Cup match and a fine of €100,000.
Citing Law 4 of the Laws of the Game, UEFA reaffirmed that: “players must not reveal undershirts which contain slogans or advertising.”
Article 18.18, specific to the Ukraine Poland competition goes on to state: “”All kit items worn during the final tournament must be free of any sponsor advertising.”
The decision came down from UEFA and tournament organizers Monday with no sympathy for the Danish player. So, it appears there is no justification for Brendtner in this situation and he will have to face the music, missing his first eligible World Cup match and pay a hefty fine.
The bookmaking firm in question, Paddy Power, is a well-known fixture in the sports betting community. Whether the company paid the fine for Bendtner or compensated him enough to make the fine worthwhile remains unclear. However, it is assumed near 100 million pairs of eyes saw the bit of guerilla marketing in action, making for a seemingly cost effective ad for the bookmaker. In a cheeky move after the verdict was delivered Paddy Power halved odds of the incident occurring again from 12:1 to 6:1.
