Barcelona latest football club to face UK ad ban

La Liga club face sanctions for a paid Google ad promoting the auction of a Cruyff NFT.

European football heavyweight Barcelona has become the latest football club to fall foul of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for its promotion of NFTs.

The La Liga club faces an ad ban for a paid Google search result of an NFT featuring legendary footballer Johan Cruyff which recently sold at high-end auctioneer Sotheby’s in New York.

The text read: “July 29, 2022 – NFT Johan Cruyff. Don’t miss the live auction. The first NFT Masterpiece of FC Barcelona. Premiere July 29th. Johan Cruyff’s ’impossible goal’ in 1973. Immortalized and offered as an exclusive NFT.”

The ASA argued that a lack of information on the risks of buying NFTs or the fees and restrictions involved meant the promoted advert was misleading to those viewing it.

Barcelona claimed NFTs were not considered financial products so its advert would be exempt from financial rules and that full terms and conditions of the NFT were available on its site.

It also stated that a character limit on its Google ad campaign meant T&Cs could not be included.

In 2021 Premier League side Arsenal – who sit top of the table ahead of the return to action – faced a similar penalty when the ASA claimed the club’s ads trivialised crypto and didn’t explain the risks.

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Written by David Kent

David has more than a decade of sports betting and sports writing experience working with some of the biggest names in the industry. He focuses on articles covering these subjects including how crypto is transforming sportsbooks.

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