The five heirs to football legend Diego Maradona, who died in 2020, have signed a deal with Swedish-Iranian businessman Ash Pournouri and his company Electa Global to market products under the Maradona name.
The Swedish company said Tuesday in a statement that under the long-term agreement "Electa will manage all aspects of product design, manufacturing, marketing, and retail, in close coordination with the family.”
"There aren't many official Maradona products," Pournouri told the AFP news agency.
"This is partly because it didn't happen during his lifetime, and since his passing, his family and children haven't wanted to undertake anything with anyone," Pournouri explained, adding that "it took some time to earn their trust."
Argentina's legendary number 10 died of a heart attack on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60.
While other football stars, such as Cristiano Ronaldo or Kylian Mbappé, have leveraged their names and stardom into brands, Maradona never did.
"Our father's name means so much to millions of people around the world," Maradona’s five heirs were quoted saying.
"It's not just about products. It's about preserving who Diego was – his passion, his energy, and his love for people,” they added.
Initially, high-end clothing, shoes, and accessories will be designed for the European market.
Last month, the courts in Argentina seized assets belonging to Maradona's two sisters, his lawyer and three other people as part of a probe into alleged fraudulent administration of the deceased footballer's brand.
An appeals court ordered the prosecution of Maradona's former lawyer, Matías Morla, and two of his assistants for alleged fraudulent administration of the ‘Diego Maradona’ brand and its derivatives.
The ruling ordered that the assets, tangible or otherwise, be “immediately transferred to the ownership of his heirs.”
– TIMES/AFP
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