- Real Madrid C.F’s Gareth Bale and Manchester City F.C.’s Sergio Agüero announced as Nissan’s new Engineers of Excitement
- Nissan film reveals the ambassadors in an intense and skillful head-to-head rally
- Speaking with Nissan, Gareth Bale reveals Real Madrid C.F.’s desire to make history and win back-to-back titles, but admits they’ll need a bit of luck
- Manchester City F.C.’s Sergio Agüero discusses the club’s title target in the UEFA Champions League
ROLLE, Switzerland – Nissan, the official global automotive sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, has confirmed Real Madrid C.F. winger, Gareth Bale, and Manchester City F.C. striker, Sergio Agüero, as the brand’s new global ambassadors and Engineers of Excitement.
As Nissan’s new global ambassadors, Bale and Agüero will help Nissan bring soccer fans closer to the UEFA Champions League action. They will play a pivotal role over the course of the season in exciting fans, starting with a lead role in an exclusive film created by Nissan.
Showcasing their electrifying skills, the film reveals the star players as they go head-to-head in an intense and competitive rally. The Engineers of Excitement challenge each other to return the ball, and we see their precise shooting technique and innovative skills up close as they play the ball back and forth.
On becoming Nissan’s new global ambassador, Gareth Bale said: “I’m thrilled to be working with Nissan on their partnership with the UEFA Champions League. Having won the tournament twice with Real Madrid C.F., the competition is very special to me and I know it takes a tremendous amount of hard work to win. It is one of the most exciting competition in the world, and I’m looking forward to sharing that excitement with the fans.”
Sergio Agüero added his excitement to be working with Nissan: “I’m very happy to be working with Nissan. The UEFA Champions League is such an exciting tournament which features some of the best teams, players and managers in the game. The week-in-week-out drama on and off the pitch makes it a great competition to be a part of as a player, and to watch as a fan.”
Speaking to Nissan, the official global automotive sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, Sergio Agüero revealed Manchester City F.C. has learned a lot from their UEFA Champions League campaign last season: “Obviously you learn new things every year, and above all in you acquire experience, what it really means to play those games in the Last Sixteen, Last Eight and obviously in the Semi-Final. I hope this year we can continue on the same path.”
The Argentine striker also said that he and his Manchester City F.C. teammates have big aspirations for this season, and he stated they want to make it as far as possible in the competition: “Let’s hope we can make it as far as possible. Obviously it’s not easy but we have a great team.”
Click image to enlarge
The star striker certainly didn’t rule out reaching the Final this season, commenting on the investments and changes made at Manchester City F.C.: “Our goal is to reach the Final, because the club invested a lot in hiring players, and a new project, with new managers.”
Nevertheless Agüero admitted it may not be achievable this season: “The UEFA Champions League isn’t easy, but we are working. I don’t know whether it will be this year or the next one, but we are working on winning our first title.”
While in-form Real Madrid C.F. winger, Gareth Bale, revealed his team’s desire to make history in the UEFA Champions League this season as they look to become the first team ever to win back-to-back titles: “I think the whole team believes that we can win the UEFA Champions League again. There’s no reason why not. We’ve done it before. We’re fully focused on that task this season, and we’ll be doing everything we can to win the trophy again and hopefully make history.”
Although Bale admitted they’ll need a little luck to secure their twelfth UEFA Champions League title and retain their status as European champions: “It’s difficult to win the UEFA Champions League anyway, so to win it two times in a row obviously it’s even more difficult. There’s a lot of amazing teams playing and you need that bit of luck. But we’ve done it the once now; we have a chance to make history and hopefully we can do that. Obviously Real Madrid C.F. is known for winning Champion’s Leagues. It’s what the club is about and we all know how important it is, not just to the players but to the fans also. We’ll be trying our best for everybody involved to try and defend the title and get our twelfth UEFA Champions League.”
Jean-Pierre Diernaz, Vice President for Marketing, Nissan Europe commented: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Bale and Agüero to the Nissan family, as our new ambassadors and Engineers of Excitement. As part of the UEFA Champions League partnership, we wanted to work with ambassadors that demonstrate and share our same principles of innovation and excitement. Why them? Because like Nissan they are challenging convention, are true innovators of the game and every time that step on that pitch they deliver excitement to fans.”
Gareth Bale on Making History with Real Madrid C.F.
Sergio Agüero Discusses Manchester City F.C.’s Aims in the UEFA Champions League
Nissan Challenge: GT-R Intelligent Launch Control with Sergio Aguero
Nissan Challenge: X-Trail Intelligent Driver Alert with Sergio Aguero
Gareth Bale Bio
- Gareth Bale was born in the Welsh capital of Cardiff but began his career in England at Southampton, making his debut in 2006, aged just 16. Bale also became Wales’ youngest senior international the same year.
- He signed a four-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur FC in May 2007. Bale played a prominent role when Tottenham Hotspur FC qualified for the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League – with two glittering performances against holders FC Internazionale Milan in the Group Stages, netting a hat-trick in their 4-3 defeat at the San Siro and setting up two goals in their 3-1 at White Hart Lane.
- Bale was voted the best player in England by both the PFA and the Football Writers’ Association following a brilliant 2012/13 campaign, in which he scored 21 Premier League goals for Tottenham Hotspur FC.
- Bale left Tottenham Hotspur FC for Real Madrid C.F. in the summer of 2013, costing a reported world-record fee of €100m. He scored on his Real Madrid C.F. debut, in the La Liga against Villarreal C.F., and on his first UEFA Champions League start – a 2-2 draw against Juventus FC.
- On April 16, 2014, Bale scored the winning goal for Real Madrid C.F. with five minutes remaining in the 2014 Copa del Rey Final, against rivals FC Barcelona.
- On May 24, 2014, Bale scored in the 110th minute of extra-time to put Real Madrid C.F. 2–1 up against rivals Atlético Madrid in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final, helping them secure their tenth European Cup.
- Bale was a regular starter when Real Madrid C.F. won the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League. He assisted the only Real Madrid C.F. goal in the Final, and went on to score in the penalty shoot-out win against Atlético Madrid.
Sergio Agüero Bio
- Sergio Agüero began his professional playing career in July 2003 when, aged just 15 years and 13 days, he made his debut for Independiente.
- In 2006, Sergio joined Spanish giants Atlético Madrid. He made 234 appearances for the club and found the net 101 times, scoring many important goals during his time there – including goals in 2008 that enabled the club to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over 10 years.
- The 2009/10 season was even more successful, as Atlético Madrid won the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Super Cup and suffered a narrow defeat in the Copa del Rey final versus Sevilla FC.
- In 2011 Sergio transferred to English club, Manchester City F.C., for £38million – one of the most expensive signings in the history of the Premier League. Agüero did not disappoint, coming off the bench on his debut against Swansea City A.F.C., scoring twice.
- In 2012 Agüero’s 94th-minute goal against Queens Park Rangers F.C., on the final day of the Premier League season, clinched Manchester City F.C. their first top-flight title in 44 years and immortalized the Argentine in the club’s history.
- He also went on to win a Premier League medal with Manchester City F.C. in the 2013/14 season, and the Premier League Golden Boot award in 2015.
- In 2016, Agüero reached the UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals with Manchester City F.C., losing 1-0 to Real Madrid C.F and dropping out of the competition.
- His international career with Argentina has seen him collect an Olympic Gold Medal (20098), a FIFA World Cup Runner-up medal (2014) and a Copa América Runner-Up medal in 2015 and 2016.
The UEFA Champions League partnership is another example of Nissan’s dedication and growth in global sports, which includes: major international cricket events, such as the ICC Men’s and Women’s World Cups, the Canadian Football League, the Heisman Trust and Heisman Trophy, and the City Football Group, which includes the Manchester City, Melbourne City and New York City clubs. Nissan’s NCAA partnership in the US also marks the widest-reaching sponsorship in the history of collegiate sports – backing 100 colleges and universities, as well as select NCAA Championships – covering 22 sports. In addition, Nissan has a number of sporting ambassadors, including footballers Gareth Bale, Sergio Agüero and Andrés Iniesta.
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,000 staff across locally based design, research development, manufacturing, logistics and sales marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 635,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, commercial vehicles and the Nissan LEAF, the world’s most popular electric vehicle. Pursuing a goal of zero emissions and zero fatalities on the road, Nissan recently announced its Intelligent Mobility vision. Designed to guide Nissan’s product and technology pipeline, this 360 degree approach to the future of mobility will anchor critical company decisions around how cars are powered, how cars are driven, and how cars integrate into society. Nissan is positioned to become the most desirable Asian brand in Europe.
http://www.newsroom.nissan-europe.com
# # #
Contact
Christopher Caloghiris
Corporate and Brand Communications
CCaloghiris@nissan-europe.com
Phone: +41218225067
Sara Jenkins
Section Manager – Corporate Communications
sjenkins@nissan-europe.com
Phone: +41(0)79 808 3397