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The world's most expensive tin of cola?
Anyone over the age of 30 will probably remember the famous 'Pepsi
challenge' adverts, which got blindfolded punters to see if they
preferred Pepsi or Coke.
One thing's for sure: Ronaldinho definitely prefers Pepsi.
So much so that his fondness for the soft drink has cost the Brazilian
football legend a sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola worth £500,000 a year.
Ronaldinho stunned Coke chiefs by turning up at a press conference
and sipping nonchalantly from a can of their arch-rivals' fizzy pop.
Furious bosses at the Atlanta-based firm immediately demanded that the
plug be pulled on his huge endorsement deal, according to a report in
the 'O Estado de Sao Paulo' newspaper.
It's just the latest blow for the 32-year-old, twice a winner of the
FIFA World Player of the Year award, who has struggled to shine since he
left AC Milan two years ago to finish his career in his homeland.
His spell at Flamengo came to an end last month after two unhappy
seasons in which he was lambasted both for poor performances on the
pitch and bad behaviour off it, with reports claiming that he
consistently failed to turn up to training and was more interested in
throwing wild parties.
Ronaldinho recently moved to a new club, Atletico Mineiro, and Coke
bosses claim that they had already been growing weary of the star's
antics.
"The fact that the player has appeared with a can of Pepsi was the
straw that broke the camel's back," Coca Cola marketing chief Marcelo
Pontes told the paper. "The sponsorship had become embarrasing.
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