The Backroom Staff - Footballer & Actress: Claudia Labajos Sánchez

The Backroom Staff - Footballer & Actress: Claudia Labajos Sánchez

Behind the scenes with Nike, Alexia Putellas, and football marketing

Football marketing is big business - not just for federations, clubs, and players, but also for the companies that invest millions to advertise their products through the sport. Companies like Nike pay top dollar to access elite players and teams, showcasing their brand through carefully crafted ads that involve a wide range of professionals behind the scenes.

In this interview, Claudia Labajos Sánchez shares her experience as a ‘lighting double’ for Barcelona and Spain superstar Alexia Putellas - the first and only woman to win the Ballon d’Or twice - for a Nike ad. She has lots of really interesting anecdotes from her experience and thoughts on the future of marketing in football.

Claudia is an accomplished player and coach in her own right, having played in the US college soccer system and is currently playing and coaching in her native Catalonia. Alongside her involvement in football and acting, she studies marketing and advertising at Euroaula and Queen Margaret University.

The interview has been condensed and lightly edited for grammar and clarity. 

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[ Can you share a little of your background and your involvement with football? ]

I've been practicing football for 14 years now. I started playing on a mixed futsal team when I was 8 years old, and now I’m playing for a team where I feel very comfortable in Calafell, Tarragona. Over all these years, I've had all kinds of experiences, including fulfilling the dream of playing in the United States. I was able to play two seasons there, and I enjoyed it immensely. It's true that things are very different there, especially because it's easier to combine studies and football, which says a lot. In Barcelona, for example, it's very different, and balancing both can be quite challenging. It’s also worth mentioning that in the United States, even from a young age and despite not playing at a high level, the lifestyle surrounding football is very professional. They train every day, have a physiotherapist available, and the locker rooms, for example, are spectacular and give you a sense of professionalism. However, the main difference between Barcelona and the United States is the level of play. In my opinion, Barcelona excels in this regard. Growing up there offers many opportunities to learn and develop in football, as there is a very high level of play. While the level of play and the number of players in other provinces of Catalonia, such as Tarragona, Girona, and Lleida, is not as high—because Barcelona has so many girls—the overall level in Catalonia is above that of any other autonomous community in Spain.

Spain, as a nation, is growing in terms of football, and just seeing the women's national team in major tournaments is admirable and shows the growth that is happening in women’s football, which was unthinkable just a few years ago. The United States has always dominated in this sport.

For the past two years, I've been playing and coaching girls in Calafell, something I've always wanted to do. This coming season, I’ll be able to personally coach a girls' team since I've been studying for it, and obtaining the necessary certification allows me to do so. Doing both gives me a new perspective as a player, as I try to correct myself and gain more insight. Coaching is something I've always had in mind and now that I can (pursue it), I'm enjoying it a lot. As a player, it’s more challenging to grow and go far at this age, but I’d love to achieve great things as a coach. It’s all a matter of effort, ambition, and drive—just like everything in life—but what could be better than dedicating yourself to something you're passionate about?

[ How did you find out about the Nike advert w/ Alexia Putellas? ]

Before doing this Nike commercial with Alexia Putellas, I had worked on other projects that opened the door for me to do this one. My involvement in commercials, modeling, and similar work began because of my mother. She started doing them, and we realized that there were several ads looking for girls who excelled in football, which caught my attention, and I didn’t hesitate to get involved. Although the Nike ad was the first football-related one I did, I had previously shot a music video for a Travis Scott song, and I really enjoyed that world of advertising and filming.

But focusing on the Nike shoot, everything started with an ad, which, if I remember correctly, was posted on Instagram. My mom told me about it, and I applied for the opportunity. From that point, they asked me to meet certain requirements, like knowing how to do a bicycle kick. I had to record myself and send them the footage for the director to assess my profile for the ad, essentially a remote casting. They didn’t ask for a formal background check, but they did request some videos of me playing football. A few days later, they confirmed my participation, and the day before the shoot, they sent me a list of what I needed to bring, even though they would provide clothes and the boots to be advertised. At the time I applied, I had no idea it was for Nike or that Alexia Putellas would be the model in the ad. But when I received the contract, it stated the company producing the ad and the star involved. It was quite a shock, not just because I would be Alexia’s double, but also because I would get to do an ad for my favorite sports brand. In a way, I fulfilled another dream, as I had always wanted to be associated with or work for Nike. On the day of the shoot, I was both nervous and excited; I felt like a little girl with a new ball in her hands.

[ What did you do for the ad? ]

The ad involved taking photos to be published on Instagram to promote a product and the player. My task was to follow the instructions of the production team, specifically the director and choreographer, who guided me on the movements I needed to make so they could capture the example photo, which Alexia would later replicate. My role was to be the light double, meaning I had to position myself to find the right lighting, angle, posture, and position so that once Alexia arrived on set, she could quickly assume the poses and movements more dynamically.

When she appeared, I got very nervous. I’ve always been a fan of hers and admired her greatly, having followed her for years. Seeing her succeed is incredibly inspiring. However, I didn’t get to meet her; we exchanged glances, but that was it. She was very focused doing her work. After a while, the director told me I was done for the day, so I didn’t get a chance to greet her, though I would have loved to. The shoot wasn’t long compared to others; in fact, my work ended a few hours earlier than scheduled. I got paid for the shoot, more than what’s typically paid for a normal shoot, since I wasn’t just an extra but was doing the job of a light double.

[ How did this experience change your perception of football marketing? - would you do it again? ]

Honestly, my first impression was “wow.” Even once there, I still couldn’t believe it—the camera was ready, all the equipment was set up, watching them prepare the set... it was all incredible. And even more so, thinking that you always scroll through Instagram and see ads featuring world-class athletes, and then suddenly, you’re witnessing it in person—it’s an amazing experience.

As I mentioned earlier, being able to do a job like this means a lot; it’s something incredible and extraordinary because you can’t always say you’ve been a light double for a player with two Ballon d’Or’s in her hands. It’s simply spectacular. On the other hand, in these situations where you have an idolized person in front of you and see how they act and behave in real life, it can change your expectations of that person. That’s what happened with Alexia; I had her on a pedestal, but after that shoot, the myth was shattered. You realize what fame has done to that person and how they haven’t managed to maintain their humility and kindness. But in the end, it’s nothing new with her; fortunately or unfortunately, this happens a lot, especially in the world of football.

If I had the chance to shoot another ad like that, I would definitely accept, though if it could be with another sports star, it would be amazing. Aitana Bonmatí seems very approachable, and it would be incredible to “work” for her. Although the Nike team treated me well, it was clear that there were different levels of hierarchy, which I didn’t entirely like. After all, it was true—they were the directors, and I was just a temporary worker hired for a few hours, but in other places, there’s more equality in that aspect.

I honestly don’t remember if my intention to pursue a career in football marketing came before or after the ad, but it’s definitely something that hasn’t changed my perception, and I’d love to dedicate myself to it.

[ You study and work in marketing - how do you think marketing and football is changing? ]

Football has always been the king of sports, with millions of followers worldwide. But it’s true that there was—perhaps I should say there was because I haven’t heard much about it lately—a fear that new generations might not want to continue consuming this sport. But as I said, it’s been a while since I heard anything about that. This new movement of the King’s and Queen’s League, started in Barcelona by Gerard Piqué and Ibai Llanos, is pure marketing; it’s a total attraction for young consumers because it’s something new. They’ve invented rules in football, and people like it. Not only that, but the media outlets dedicated to football have been able to create content on social media, where most of the new viewers are. That’s why I believe marketing and football are closely linked because marketing is about maintaining consumer attention, and that doesn’t come for free—it’s marketing.

I believe football and marketing are changing. I doubt many young viewers sit and watch 90 minutes of a match on TV anymore; instead, they just go to YouTube, Instagram or TikTok the next day and watch highlight clips or the goals from the match. But on the other hand, I also think that more and more people, even if they never watch football throughout the season, get so caught up in the hype around major games—like finals—that even people who never watch football find themselves nervously watching the match if their team is doing poorly. So, in short, I think there are several fronts to address and a lot to cover when it comes to the combination of marketing and football, as I believe it’s the future.

[ What are your future career plans? ]

This October, I’ll start my third year of college, and although at the beginning I wasn’t sure which sector I wanted to specialize in, I always had football on my mind because it’s always been there (in my life). When I graduate, I’d like to pursue a master’s degree in sports management, specifically in football, but that’s still up in the air because they aren’t cheap, and I need to be very sure about it, and work for it. I’m also not sure whether to do it here in Barcelona or go abroad, but these are just hypotheses about what might happen. As I mentioned earlier, I want to continue growing as a coach, so if I could combine both things, it would be a future plan that excites me a lot.

On the other hand, as for acting, I won’t be able to continue with it at the start of this school year due to scheduling conflicts, but I hope to get back to it in the future. In March, I did another football-related shoot that excited me a lot. I had the opportunity to film a commercial for television with the well-known Catalan pharmaceutical company Grifols. It was an ad that aired for the Women’s Champions League final, as Grifols was one of the sponsors. That shoot was tough because we were cold, it was done at night, and it lasted many hours, but it was worth it!

Follow Claudia on LinkedIn and let her know you enjoyed the interview!

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