Real Madrid and Apple are the two leading names in their respective fields. While Los Blancos are record 14-time winners of the UEFA Champions League, the United States-based conglomerate is the most popular name in tech. The two collaborated on a documentary in 2022 and, according to The Athletic, the Spanish side are eager to have Apple as one their sponsors.
Tim Cook Visited Real Madrid’s Facilities At The Valdebebas
Apple CEO Tim Cook unexpectedly visited the Real Madrid Sport City last weekend. He snapped photos with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in the club’s iconic trophy room, posing with a Los Blancos jersey. He then went to the Valdebebas to watch the first team in action on the training pitch and took a few more photos with the players and coach Carlo Ancelotti. Cook’s sudden visit to Los Merengues’ training facilities has sparked debate about whether the two parties are discussing a partnership down the road.
As per The Athletic, Cook’s visit to Real Madrid’s training complex was not related to business. The American executive enjoys soccer and wanted to catch a glimpse of Madrid up front. However, that did not keep Cook from meeting some of the club’s top-tier executives. It has been reported that Cook met with senior directors Jose Angel Sanchez and Manolo Redondo. Additionally, he also had a chat with the newly appointed head of retail and licensing, Alex Wicks. Wicks also serves as Madrid’s head of partnerships.
The Apple cohort reportedly displayed a genuine interest in learning the inner machinations of the soccer club. Cook reportedly wanted to know how the youth teams were managed, what their objectives were, and how the iPad helped the Whites utilize GPS data from matches and training sessions. Cook and Co. made a similar trip to Bayern Munich in September last year.
Real Madrid Wish To Work With Apple
Real Madrid entered into an agreement with Apple over the distribution of behind-the-scenes footage from their 2021-22 UEFA Champions League-winning campaign. The documentary, named “La Decimocuarta: Until The End” is available for viewers on Apple TV+. Long before they worked on the documentary, Madrid and Apple held talks over a broader sponsorship deal, but it did not materialize.
A club executive wishes that the two parties eventually work together.
The executive said (via The Athletic):
“Hopefully one day it will be done.
“Anything is possible. We have already collaborated with them on the documentary.”
Real Madrid currently have three major partnerships in place with Adidas, Emirates Airlines, and BMW. The €152 million ($160.47 million) per year deal with Adidas is by far their most profitable.
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