Casillas & Oscar Sign With Sport Tech Start-up

Football players Iker Casillas and Oscar have signed as global ambassadors for New York-based sport technology start-up, Storelli.

The Spain captain and Chelsea midfielder are part of a new campaign for Storelli, who focus on injury-preventing performance gear for football players.

The campaign kicks-off with ‘The Dark Side of the Beautiful Game’, a film featuring Casillas and Oscar in an underground New York warehouse participating in a fight club-esque football training session in the early hours of the morning. They recruit and coach a crop of talented players about the injuries, hits and tackles inherent in football, and how they can protect themselves in a full-contact training session.

Iker Casillas said: “We have joined forces to motivate a new generation of football players to be smarter, more prepared and more focused on potential versus their limits. I look forward to working closely with Storelli to provide my feedback as they further develop their range.”

Oscar added: “People think of football as the beautiful game, but it’s hard out there. Injuries are costly in this game. So, as players, we do everything we can to protect ourselves. There is no reason for us not to be prepared. Storelli elevates my game and helps me to gain an advantage over my opponents.”

Claudio Storelli, founder and CEO of Storelli, said: “Sometimes the beautiful game can be quite ugly and protection against injuries from contusions, lacerations and turf burns is crucial to keep players on the pitch and focused on the game. In football there is so much innovation when it comes to footwear and kits, yet little when it comes to protection.

“Our gear is made by and for football players, and both Casillas and Oscar recognize that what we are doing represents the future of the sport. It represents a logical evolution akin to that undergone by sports like American football, baseball, hockey, or skiing, where helmets or padding were once not widely used. As each sport matured, the risks involved were recognized and protective measures were adopted that are now the norm. We are bringing the same type of evolution into football: educating consumers about risks and creating innovative solutions that help players perform better and for longer.”

Mark Schermers, chief marketing officer of Storelli, said: “Storelli is breaking with conventions around football protection. We are reframing what performance gear is and the film featuring superstars Casillas and Oscar showcases how Storelli is a potent antidote to injuries – a secret weapon – that fuses protection with performance to give athletes an edge and the confidence they need to break both physical and mental boundaries. We’d like to shine the light on a new generation of athletes – both male and female – who realise that performing at a top level consistently is as much about using their smarts as anything else. The backdrop for the film with Oscar and Casillas is in Brooklyn, as the borough’s DNA and spirit has shaped our brand into the ambitious, disruptive one it is today.”