Betsson, an online betting company, announced a partnership with former Colombian goalkeeper René Higuita. The “scorpion”, famous for his 1995 defense against England, will promote the activities of the Swedish bookmaker and the sponsorship of Club Atlético Nacional, from Colombia.
According to Higuita, this alliance “started like crazy and now it’s a reality. Today, I’m with Betsson to make a difference and bring the passion of football closer to the fans.”
René Higuita’s career
René Higuita, an idol in Colombia, is recognized as one of the best goalkeepers in the history of South American football.
His combination of professionalism and charisma on the field was crucial to Colombia’s positioning on the international football scene in the 1990s. During this period, he was part of the national team that returned to the World Cup after a 28-year absence.
His CV includes two Colombian Championship titles (1991 and 1994), one Copa Libertadores (1989) and two Inter-American Cups (1990 and 1997). Titles won with Atlético Nacional.
In 1995, he returned to the Copa Libertadores final, where, according to the book Histórias Inusitadas da Copa Libertadores, he produced “the most spectacular performance by a goalkeeper in the history of the competition” in the semi-finals.
Furthermore, Higuita is one of the best goalkeepers-strikers in the world, with a total of 43 official goals, ranking fifth in the global ranking. In 2004, he was elected by IFFHS as the eighth best South American goalkeeper of the 20th century and by the newspaper El País.
Thus, he was considered the third best player in America in 1989 and 1990. Due to his unique style of play, FIFA created the position of goalkeeper-libero, known as “Lei Higuita”, in 1990.
Partnership
Andrea Rossi, Betsson’s commercial director for Latin America, commented: “We are proud to collaborate with a football legend like René Higuita, who shares our passion for sport and entertainment.
This announcement reinforces our commitment to the Colombian market and consolidates our leadership position in the sector in Latin America.”
Furthermore, the Swedish brand stood out in the regional press last year as the new sponsor of three of the most renowned clubs in Latin America. They are: Boca Juniors and Racing Club in Argentina, in addition to Atlético Nacional in Colombia.
It also recently signed a sponsorship for its infotainment brand, Betsson Sport, with Inter Milan.
About Betsson
Founded in 1963, Betsson Group offers entertainment with over 20 award-winning brands, as well as Betsson, Betsafe and InkaBet.
Therefore, with proprietary technology across its product offering, Betsson serves players directly (B2C) and indirectly on a B2B basis.
Finally, Betsson Group employs more than 2,000 people across Europe, South America, Asia and North America and is wholly owned by Betsson AB.
