While they were competing at the Euro 2012 championships, many of the world’s top footballers won’t have realised that they have been battling it out in Chinese shops too. So popular are the soccer stars that Chinese firms have been trademarking their names to increase sales of their products. And it sounds like Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal may be less than flattered by one product that bears his name – the C Ronaldo Flush Toilet. Sure, the forward is associated with spectacular runs, but more out on the pitch than holed up in the bathroom.
But Ronaldo is not the most popular source for Chinese trademarkers, says China Daily. That honour goes to Spain’s Xavi, whose name is now being used on 22 products. According to the Chongqing-based Southwest Trademark Service, of the 368 players who featured in Euro 2012, 88 now unwittingly have their names on Chinese products.
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