Zlatan Ibrahimovic Angry, Footballers Sue EA for FIFA 21
Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes that EA Sports has used his image in FIFA 21 illegally and wants to look into the matter. The Swede is joined by other players.
Most players are accustomed to the fact that for a long time now, their favourite series of football games employs realistic pitches with superbly recreated players. EA Sports announces that more scans of famous footballers' faces are being made for each FIFA and that's how it goes. But are you sure it will always be like this? The example of Zlatan Ibrahimovic shows that not necessarily, as the Swede has just stated that Canadians are using his image in FIFA 21 illegally.
In his Twitter post, Zlatan asked who gave EA Sports the right to use his name and face in the game. Ironically, he added whether it was perhaps FIFPro, the organization that brings together over 60,000 professional footballers, taking care of their interests and having (to a limited extent) the right to use their image. He went on to add that he doesn't seem to be a member of FIFPro, and if he is, he certainly hasn't consented to his image being used and placed in FIFA without his knowledge through some strange maneuvers. In the second entry, posted just after the first one, he also wrote that "Somebody is making profit on my name and face without any agreement all these years. Time to investigate."
At first glance, everything is arranged into a coherent whole and it would seem that "Ibrakadabra" is right. However, the reality is rather different, and the Swede's words seem to be rather the result of a lack of knowledge or a desire to provoke. Internet users are already reminding Ibrahimovici that nothing could have happened without his consent or knowledge, because even back in 2017 he was seen holding... his own card from FIFA 17's Ultimate Team. It's hard to believe that Zlatan didn't know at the time that he was holding a card from a game released by EA Sports, because the photo was signed "FIFA 17 Ultimate Team". It's also unclear what's Ibra's situation in FIFPro is like, as he was included in the 2013 team of the organization in the past, suggesting that he was (or maybe still is) a member.
Moreover, Ibrahimovic's words are also contradicted by the fact that some time ago EA signed a contract with AC Milan, the club in which the Swede plays. It's a several-year contract that guarantees that the Italian team will be fully licensed only in the FIFA series (and not for example in the competing PES). It includes full rights to use the name of the team, stadium or just Rossonerich's players. So it seems that Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a player of Milan was also part of this agreement, so his doubts about use of his image without his knowledge may be unjustified.
Even more interesting in this respect is in another club from the Apennine Peninsula - Napoli. In the team belonging to Aurelio De Laurentiis, each player simultaneously with signing the contract forfeits his rights to his image to the club, which can profit on them. Such exclusivity is something very rare in professional football, but it makes no doubt about who and what can do. It also means that many celebrities don't want to go to Napoli because they prefer to manage their image by themselves - which is fully understandable.
Interestingly, according to the journalist The Athletic, David Ornstein, hundreds of other players have decided to take legal steps in this direction. On the one hand, this should not come as a surprise to us, as these are probably cosmic sums of potential money that pass the players by the nose. On the other hand, we don't know how individual contracts with clubs and federations are structured. Perhaps when playing in a particular club that belongs to a national football federation, which in turn is a member of UEFA or FIFA, the right to puy players in e.g. video games depends not on them, but on the entities that represent them.
The case seems extremely interesting and its potential consequences can be felt by both players and gamers. If it turns out that the Swede was right, many players may gain additional sources of income. In case they start to deny the rights to their image, it is possible that we will not see Zlatan Ibrahimovic or other celebrities in future FIFAs. We have to wait for the development of the situation and EA Sports' response, because it may shed some more light on the whole matter.
