Real Madrid forward Mbappé made a gesture at a press conference before the Champions League match against Inter Milan that recalled iconic moments from other superstars, particularly Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James.

According to Marca, during the press conference held at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training center, Mbappé moved an energy drink bottle that was positioned in front of him and replaced it with a water bottle in its original position facing the cameras.

This is not the first time Mbappé has done something like this. He has consistently maintained a clear stance on products that appear beside him on camera, particularly alcoholic beverages and fast food products that he does not wish to promote.

Mbappé's actions echo the famous moment of Cristiano Ronaldo at UEFA Euro 2020 in 2021.

At that time, the Portuguese captain pushed away two soda bottles in front of him at a press conference, then lifted a water bottle and said: "Water, not this."

The scene quickly went viral globally, becoming a vivid example of a football superstar asserting control over commercial messaging at sponsored events.

However, the practice of moving sponsor products from press conference tables did not begin with Cristiano Ronaldo; the phenomenon can be traced back to basketball, particularly American star LeBron James.

During the 2014 NBA Finals, LeBron suffered severe cramps in a game against the San Antonio Spurs. The league's partner subsequently posted a highly controversial message on social media, stating: "We're ready, but players who get cramps don't drink our products."

Since then, LeBron has repeatedly been noted for covering or moving bottle labels in front of him at press conferences, which is also connected to his endorsement deal with a competing brand.

Not only LeBron, but other basketball stars such as Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson have taken similar actions regarding sponsor products.

According to Marca, Mbappé's actions reflect his strong emphasis on protecting his image rights and his position regarding commercially associated products.

The French forward drew attention to this issue at the 2022 World Cup. At that time, he deliberately avoided clear appearances before official sponsors of the tournament's best player award because he did not want his image associated with alcoholic beverages, gambling, and certain fast food products.

Tradotto dall'IA.

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