Reggae Boyz goalkeeper and captain Andre Blake poses with some youngsters at the JPL final at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.
In an exciting development for Jamaican football, Reggae Boyz captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake has secured a new two-year sponsorship deal with Spectrum Systems Limited, Jamaica's leading distributor of roofing and building products. This deal comes hot on the heels of Blake's recent sponsorship announcement with Supreme Ventures.
Blake's new partnership with Spectrum Systems highlights the company's commitment to supporting local sports, adding to their existing sponsorships of the Waterhouse Football Club and race car driver Sara Misir. As part of this agreement, Blake will be featured prominently in Spectrum's advertising campaigns and will support the company’s sponsorship initiatives within the football community.
The collaboration was celebrated with Blake's attendance at the Jamaica Premier League Superfinal last Sunday. During the event, he presented a gift to Waterhouse FC, which secured fourth place in the 2023/24 season, underscoring Spectrum Systems' ongoing support for the club.
Contributed: Andrew Stanigar Managing Director of Spectrum Systems greets Andre Blake on Sunday at the Jamaica Premier League Super Final.
Andrew Stanigar, Managing Director of Spectrum Systems Ltd., expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "We invest in sports sponsorships because they allow us to connect with our customer base. Both Andre Blake and Spectrum Systems have a lot in common—quality, reliability, and consistency. It makes sense to align the number one roofing company with Jamaica's number one goalkeeper."
For Andre Blake, the endorsement deal represents a valuable opportunity to further engage with the local football community. "Sponsorships like this allow me to connect better with Jamaica football fans," Blake commented. "I look forward to what we will be able to achieve together as I aim to inspire and connect footballers across the island while also championing Spectrum's advertising campaigns. It's a win for everyone."
With this new deal, Blake continues to expand his influence both on and off the pitch, leveraging his prominence to promote and support local sports. The two-year agreement promises to be beneficial for both Blake and Spectrum Systems, strengthening their ties to the Jamaican football community and beyond.
No changes as Brazil confirm final Copa America squad
Dorival Junior has stuck with the same 26-man squad he provisionally selected for Brazil's 2024 Copa America campaign.
Juventus' Bremer, Atalanta midfielder Ederson and Porto forward Pepe were all called up when CONMEBOL announced the squads were being expanded from 23 players to 26.
The Brazilian had already had to make changes after Manchester City's Ederson was ruled out due to an injury sustained at the end of the Premier League season, with Rafael brought in to replace him.
Lucas Paqueta also keeps his place after the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) confirmed he would be allowed to stay with the squad despite being charged by the England Football Association (FA) for allegedly breaching betting rules.
Casemiro, Gabriel Jesus and Thiago Silva had already been left out of the provisional squad announced in May, while Richarlison and Neymar are both missing due to injury.
Brazil are nine-time winners of the Copa America and will begin their campaign against Costa Rica on June 24 before also facing Paraguay and Colombia in Group D.
Final Brazil squad: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Atletico PR), Rafael (Sao Paolo), Beraldo (PSG), Bremer (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Gabriel (Arsenal), Marquinhos (PSG), Danilo (Juventus), Yan Couto (Girona), Guilherme Arana (Atletico MG), Wendell (Porto), Andreas Pereira (Fulham), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Ederson (Atalanta), Joao Gomes (Wolves), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham), Endrick (Palmeiras), Evanilson (Porto), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Pepe (Porto), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Savinho (Girona), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid).
Raphinha hits back after Mbappe's criticism of South American football
Raphinha has responded to Kylian Mbappe's claims that the Euros are harder than the World Cup by reminding the Frenchman who beat them in the 2022 final.
In an interview, Mbappe noted that France had not won the European Championships in 24 years, which is something he will be looking to change this year.
That observation then led to him saying, "The Euros is a difficult competition, more than a World Cup. All the teams know each other, and the style of soccer is similar. Group stages are difficult."
However, Brazil's Raphinha was not happy with the 25-year-old's comparison, pointing out that Argentina prevented them from winning the World Cup in 2022.
"Unfortunately for him and fortunately for us, he lost a World Cup against a South American team," Raphinha said in a press conference ahead of the Copa America.
The Barcelona winger also referenced other comments made by Mbappe from a couple of years ago. The new Real Madrid star implied World Cup qualification was easier in South America than in Europe, and suggested the football "wasn't as advanced".
Raphinha added, "I would like to see the European teams playing in the South American qualifiers on the fields where we play. That's when I'd see if it's easy or hard."
Brazil begin their Copa America campaign against Costa Rica on June 24, while France will face Austria in their Euro 2024 opener on Monday.
Pavlovic signs two-year contract extension with Bayern
Aleksandar Pavlovic has signed a contract extension which will keep him at Bayern Munich until 2029.
Pavlovic's current contract was due to run out in 2027, but the club have chosen to trigger a two-year extension.
The 20-year-old enjoyed an impressive breakout campaign in 2023-24, in which he made 22 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and providing two assists.
Pavlovic joined Bayern as a seven-year-old and was handed his debut for the first team in November last year when he came off the bench to assist Harry Kane in a 4-0 victory.
His club form earned him a call-up to Germany's squad for Euro 2024, but he was forced to withdraw after coming down with tonsillitis days before the opener against Scotland.
"Unfortunately, this tonsillitis has denied me my dream of playing in the European Championship on home turf, which is very disappointing – but I'm thrilled that my contract with FC Bayern has been extended until 2029," Pavlovic said.
"It shows the club has trust in me, which I'm eager to repay. FC Bayern is my home. I'm proud, happy and grateful, want to win trophies with the team and continue my personal development."
Pavlovic made 19 appearances in the Bundesliga this season, winning 15 of those, with the team scoring 54 goals in the process.
In the 15 games that the midfielder missed in the league, Bayern won just eight times, conceding 14 more goals.
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