Argentina legend Javier Mascherano has announced a partnership with Latin American esports agency eSports Planet.
Formerly of Barcelona and Liverpool, the South American nation’s second-most capped player currently plays for Chinese Super League club Hebei China Fortune.
“I’m very aware about esports importance in Europe, USA, and Asia-Pacific regions but Latin America is the region to grow,” Mascherano said in a statement. “I’m pretty confident about our possibilities as an agency that wants to work with different partners to lead this field in Latin America.”
“I’m very aware about esports importance in Europe, USA, and Asia-Pacific regions but Latin America is the region to grow.”
Robert Borrego, Chief Executive of eSports Planet, added: “We are very proud and happy to join forces with Javier in order to develop esports in Latin America. He will be very important to catch people’s attention.”
Mascherano’s former Barça colleagues Gerard Piqué and André Gomes also became involved in esports recently. Piqué has launched eFootball.Pro, partnering with game publisher Konami over a Pro Evolution Soccer series.
Meanwhile Gomes was part of an investment in G2 Esports, alongside Everblue Management, MACRO Ventures and Marc Lemann of Go4It.
In a similar move to Mascherano joining eSports Planet, former Bundesliga coach Robin Dutt joined German agency Esports Reputation as a council member in July last year, while Dr. Christopher Grieben of the German Sport University Cologne joined as their sports science representative.
“An e-footballer simultaneously studies all eleven players on the field, clicks their controller at countless miles per minute and changes playstyle all throughout the match—depending on the game,” said Dutt.
“FIFA could be an interesting, alternative training method for a new, appropriate generation.”
