Football players stop giving away jerseys because it ends up on Ebay anyway

France's Caen forward Alexander Mendy will no longer be given away jerseys at the end of games. There is a reason for this.

follow me

Alexander Mendy is fed up. That's why he took a radical decision and announced it on social networks:

The forward from Ligue 2 club Caen will no longer be handed out jerseys after games. The reason is that one of the jerseys he gave away was resold on the website and sold for a high price of 299 euros.

Check out Mendy's Instagram Stories.Image: Instagram

The ad calls the dress “game worn,” meaning it was worn in a game and signed by the player. Alexandre Mendy (30) shared a screenshot of the ad on Instagram, adding a tapping forehead emoji to express his frustration.

The center from Guinea-Bissau is denouncing a business that has grown in size in recent years. It's not illegal, but like Mendy, many accuse it of having an unethical aspect. They enrich themselves at the expense of their passion for football, which is said to be more powerful than money. It also tarnishes a beautiful and selfless gesture from a football player to his fans.

Caen striker Mendy is not the first footballer to become publicly angry over the deal. Back in 2012, Stade Rennes' Romain Alessandrini said he felt overwhelmed when he found a jersey he had worn and given to a fan on a resale website for €500. “A bit disappointed”.

Return: “Dad will put it on eBay.”Picture: www.imago-images.de

“This annoys me so much that from now on I will only pass it on to children or disabled people,” Alessandrini declared. But even if the jersey is given directly to a child, it may end up on a sales platform. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, then at Sporting Strasbourg, had to painfully realize this in 2023.

The midfielder discovered a shirt online that he had gifted to a young fan. The dress costs 300 euros and comes with a certificate of authenticity: a photo of the player giving the jersey to his child. Like Mendy, Bellegarde was frustrated: “Disappointed. Sometimes people like this use their children to get the jersey,” he wrote.

But not everyone condemns these opportunistic dealers. Some Internet users defended them, saying, for example, that their business was legitimate and that these people probably needed the money to live. “After the jersey is sold, it will also be given to enthusiastic people.” A user on X commented.

Ironically, Alexandre Mendy could have facilitated the deal with his radical decision: since his shirts are rare on the market, their value is likely to increase. That will be especially true if the forward, who recently became Caen's all-time top scorer with eight goals in 12 games this season, continues to be so successful.

“Football players in Saudi Arabia make more money than they spend.” This statement should probably be reconsidered. Because Neymar proves just the opposite.