Global Fútbol

RCD Mallorca are back at the pinnacle of Spanish football once again. The Majorcans return to LaLiga Santander just a single season after bidding farewell to the division. During their brief sojourn in LaLiga SmartBank, the team overseen by Luis Garcia Plaza amassed 82 points to secure direct promotion and play their 29th season at elite level.

For this 2021/22 campaign, in which they have a new kit manufacturer, RCD Mallorca have turned to the island's most famous export, Rafa Nadal Perera, to present their new shirt. Specifically, the Spanish tennis star was brought on board to unveil the away kit which Los Bermellones will wear in LaLiga Santander.

In the ad presented on the club's social media channels, the tennis player trains together with Carlos Moya at the Rafael Nadal Academy. Under the Majorcan sunshine, Nadal practices his strokes and then swaps his training top for the new shirt, which is white with a grey stamp on the front.

To generate even greater expectation, Rafael had posted a cryptic message on social media the day before alerting fans to the impending news. That social media post, and the ad for the shirt, generated significant interactions on the Balearic club's official channels, as a marketing action elevated by the presence of a global sports legend.

LaLiga and the Rafa Nadal Academy

The stage selected to present the launch of the new shirt was the Rafa Nadal Academy. The Balearic tennis ace's academy goes beyond tennis, with LaLiga and the Rafa Nadal Academy having signed a collaboration agreement in early 2021 to promote both brands. This alliance, struck for a period of three years, contemplates mutual support between the two institutions and includes the launch of joint projects and initiatives.

The various initiatives include holding a range of competitions at the facilities of the academy in Manacor and the launch of joint educational actions as part of the credits for the MBAs taught at the LaLiga Business School in the classrooms of the Rafa Nadal Academy.