AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Barcelona midfielder Rafinha must honour his contract with Adidas and wear the German company's sportswear or pay a fine of up to 1 million euros ($1.14 million), a Dutch court said on Tuesday. Adidas had sued the 25-year-old Brazilian after Rafinha had started to wear Mizuno shoes in July, contesting the German company's unilateral extension of a sponsorship deal that had finished at the end of June. Rafinha was represented at the negotiations with Adidas by his father, former Vasco da Gama and Valencia player Mazinho, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994. "Although he is no legal expert, he knows how sponsor deals work", the judge said. This, however, did not make Adidas' case less urgent, the judge said, as the player has also promised to promote Adidas off the pitch and through social media.

Source: The Star December 18, 2018 21:45 UTC