Didier Yves Drogba Tébily, better known to English supporters simply as Didier Drogba, might be most fondly recalled by Chelsea fans for the work he did in winning them Premier League and Champions League medals during his time at Stamford Bridge. Yet he has started a new part of his post-footballing career by becoming a global brand ambassador for the betting firm 10bet. Having retired last year after becoming the Ivory Coast’s all-time top-scorer, the former striker has been brought on board by one of the world’s fastest-growing gambling companies.
As well as making special appearances for them at live events that they host, Drogba will be the face of the company’s marketing campaigns for both the United Kingdom an Asia. Given that he won four Premier Leagues titles, the Champions League and numerous other trophies during his time playing for Chelsea, it’s not hard to see why 10bet would feel that the two-time African Footballer Of The Year would be a good representative of their business. Drogba himself referred to the fact that he was pleased that they ‘promote responsible gambling’ and is looking forward to working with them.
Who Are 10bet?
10bet launched in 2003 and soon began to earn a reputation as a betting firm good for football supporters, not least of all because of their sponsorship of clubs like West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers. The company’s tagline is ‘for the bettor’, with their aim having been to be a forward-thinking company that offers the sort of bets and odds that punters are likely to enjoy. They offer both sportsbook bets and an online casino, making them something of a one-stop shop for people who like to place a wager or two on a number of different topics.
Some of the reviews of 10bet by customers have been mixed, but good luck finding an online bookmaker that that isn’t the case for. The company covers more than 150 different football leagues, which is why lovers of the sport have been quick to consider using their services and why getting Didier Drogba on board as a brand ambassador makes total sense. Registered under the company Blue Star Planet Ltd and having a London office for the UK-facing side of the brand, 10bet might not be as well known as the more established brands with high street shops but the signing of Drogba is likely to help change that.
Who Is Didier Drogba?
Didier Drogba by Global Sports Forum, flickr
Not many people will need to be told much of Didier Drogba; especially not if they support a Premier League football team. During his time at Chelsea, which spanned two periods of his career, he was the scourge of defences in the English top-flight. During more than two hundred league appearances for Chelsea he scored one hundred goals, to say nothing of some important ones on the way to victories in the likes of the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League. He signed for the London club in 2004 and played for them until 2012, returning for a year for the 2014-2015 season and netting another four league goals.
His club career took in stints at Le Mans, Guingamp and Marseille before moving to Stamford Bridge, then he left London for Shanghai Shenhua and had a season at Galatasaray before returning to West London. Montreal Impact then had him for a year before he saw out his career at Phoenix Rising in the USL Championship. He scored two hundred and ten league goals in just shy of five hundred appearances, to say nothing of sixty-five goals in one hundred and five matches for the Ivory Coast. He won Premier League, Champions League, Süper Lig and Western Conference titles as a player and countless personal awards.
What 10bet Have Said About The Deal
The deal to sign Drogba up as a brand ambassador represents something of a coup for 10bet, especially at a time when other betting companies are in the news more often for compliance issues rather than clever marketing decisions such as this one. Little wonder that the company is keen to shout about their two year deal with the Ivorian, who notched up eighteen trophies during his illustrious playing career. Something that caused a 10bet spokesperson to refer to him as ‘one of the most successful and popular sports stars in the world’.
A @ChelseaFC legend, an Ivory Coast hero 🇨🇮, a @PremierLeague record-breaker and a big-game master (he’s rated 91 on @EASPORTSFIFA for a reason!) – he’ll now be our new 10bet global brand ambassador! pic.twitter.com/ht3sh5IkKV
— 10bet (@10betSports) September 12, 2019
Drogba was known as a big game player, not least of all because of his ten goals in ten finals, helping his clubs to win ten trophies. All things that were pointed out by the 10bet spokesperson who was no doubt keen to make clear that he’s a player that understands success. Indeed, they pointed out that he was a ‘natural fit’ for the company and said, “His passion for the game will be invaluable as he joins us at 10bet in a new challenge off the pitch”. Now he’ll be moving from being a big game player to a ‘big game fan’, according to 10bet, giving some indication of how they plan to use him in the early stages of the agreement.
What Drogba Himself Has To Say
It is perhaps somewhat understandable that Drogba is likely to come in for criticism over his decision to join the 10bet team, at least from some quarters. There have been numerous think pieces about football’s relationship with gambling in recent times. From more than half of football teams’s main sponsors in both the Premier League and Championship being betting firms through to questions being asked of the industry’s lack of support for people with gambling addictions, it has been a tough time for the industry of late.
I’ve signed for @10betsports! Delighted to join their team as global brand ambassador. Follow them for exclusive interviews, insights and prizes. #ForTheBettor pic.twitter.com/YrMIOWrKuE
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) September 12, 2019
Drogba, though, was quick to point to 10bet’s commitment to responsible gambling, saying. “I am excited to be partnering with 10bet on this campaign, and like that they promote responsible gaming. We had a lot of fun filming the ads which you will see very soon”. 10bet launched its new campaign across social media last week, with Drogba featuring as a football fan rather than a player. He told fans of his decision to work with 10bet via a post on his own social media page, confirming that he’ll be promoting their online work for the Asian and UK markets.
