Category: Signing Sessions

Manchester City Hero Sergio Aguero Signs Again For Icons

December 22, 2015
Signing Sessions

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Few goals in Premier League history have been as dramatic, as historically-significant, or as crucial to an individual player’s legacy as Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp title-winning strike for Manchester City on the final day of the 2011-12 season. That’s why, whatever this man does from now until the end of his time at the Etihad, he will always have a place in the hearts of City’s supporters. 

Regardless, Aguero continues to add to his legacy at Manchester City, as each passing season he adds more goals to his already overflowing tally, cementing his place among Europe’s most deadly strikers. In fact, there are few out-and-out strikers like him in world football today. Diminutive in stature, yet strong and agile, Aguero is one of the most astute finishers in the game.
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So, on December 18th 2015, on a bitterly cold and wet winter day just outside of Manchester, Icons met the man himself for a private signing session. The Argentine forward has a reputation for being somewhat of a cheeky chap – a man who always has a smile on his face and a boyish charm to his character. The Icons team found that to be spot on, as Sergio arrived at our session chirpy and chatty and ready to sign our wide range of Manchester City and Argentina shirts and photos, boots and balls.

We found Sergio was in particularly good spirits because of his impending return to first team action. The striker had been sidelined for four matches with an injury to his heel and revealed to our team his delight and excitement at being back in training, with an eye on the weekend’s crunch Premier League fixture with Arsenal. Joking away, Sergio also told us of his childhood love for teams that play in red. Though it seems ironic to hear now, Aguero began his career with his red-clad hometown club, Independiente, way back at the start of a professional career that is now closing in some thirteen years in duration.

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Before adding his autograph to a photo of his first major European triumph, the 2010 UEFA Europa League victory while at Atletico Madrid, Sergio happily signed a variety of excellent products that are available to buy right now on icons.com. Before sharing with our team his love for the NBA – and particular admiration for the league’s MVP, Steph Curry, and his team, the Golden State Warriors – Sergio began signing Manchester City memorabilia, namely 2015-16 home shirts, photos of his best performances for the Citizens and, of course, the 2011-12 home shirt.

This was the shirt in which Sergio scored his most famous goal to date and etched his name into Premier League history. Scoring in the dying seconds of City’s final match in the 2011-12 season to defeat Queens Park Rangers 3-2 and snatch the title off City’s rivals Manchester United, Aguero earned hero status and ended the Sky Blues’ 44-year wait for topflight glory. Along with memorable photos of that famous day, Sergio’s signed shirt looks fantastic framed – a superb gift for any true City fan.

For our full range of Sergio Aguero signed products check out icons.com now!

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Go Behind The Scenes Of Our Signing With Andres Iniesta With Our Brand New Video

December 4, 2015
Signing SessionsVideos

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Andres Iniesta is one of Spanish football’s greatest ever players. When Barcelona manager Luis Enrique called him “a national monument” after the team’s 4-0 thumping of Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in November 2015, few could argue with him. That’s because, put simply, Iniesta is one of the very best in the game today.

So is it any wonder the midfield maestro is one of our most popular Icons?

Now you too can go behind the scenes of our latest signing with Andres with our fantastic new signing video, which showcases our close connection with the Barcelona superstar, who has signed with us since 2011.

In his fourth session with Icons, Andres happily signed a wide range of Barcelona and Spain shirts, home and away, as well as a selection of action photos and his very own Nike boots.

For the full range of Iniesta signed shirts, boots, balls and photos, head over to icons.com today and don’t forget to enter the discount code “JAN16SALE” for 20% off on selected items throughout January.

andres-inesta-signed-barcelona-shirt_1_andres-inesta-matchworn-signed-spain-shirt For a full report on our signing session with Andres, click here. Photos courtesy of Matt Hardy. For more images of Icons’ visit to Barcelona, visit www.matthardyphotography.co.uk.

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Icons Visits Barcelona’s Training Ground To Meet Luis Suarez

December 1, 2015
Signing Sessions

Having met with Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta on Friday and Sunday respectively, Icons rounded off a fantastic weekend of signings by spending Monday morning with fellow FC Barcelona superstar Luis Suarez at the club’s training ground, La Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
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The Icons team arrived shortly before the players’ first session of the day and were greeted by flashing cameras as eager fans tried to snap a photo of their heroes going to work.

Setting ourselves up in a private room within the impressive facilities, Icons eagerly awaited an in-form Luis, who arrived ten minutes later, wearing Barca’s blue and yellow training kit and a cheeky smile on his face.FCB

Although the signing was brief, we still found time to chat to Luis about La Blaugrana’s title hopes and the team’s upcoming trip to Japan for this year’s FIFA Club World Cup. Having expressed his excitement for the rest of the season, Luis also revealed the statue of himself that is to be erected in his hometown of Salto in Uruguay would be ready in March.

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Signing a host of products including the 2015-16 Barcelona home shirt, Luis also added his signature to a photo already signed by Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. The excellent photo shows “The Three Amigos” celebrating their famous UEFA Champions League triumph in Berlin last season.Luis-Suarez-Icons-Signing-Photos

It was a remarkable season that saw the Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil forwards score a staggering 122 goals, as Luis and Neymar both scored in the showpiece final against Juventus to securea historic treble. The photo is available in our Official UEFA Champions League framing style and with just ten of these items in the world; it’s a product that is not to be missed.

It seems that almost as soon as Luis is with us, he’s whisked away again, back to training before a litany of media appearances on a busy day as Barcelona prepare for Wednesday’s Copa Del Rey clash with Segunda side Villanovense. Luis-Suarez-Icons-Signing-Photos

With that Icons’ long weekend away with the Catalan club’s superstars is over. Flying home in high spirits, the team is ready and raring to dispatch orders from our massive Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. So, keep your eyes glued to icons.com for our brand new range of signed products.

For our full range of Luis Suarez products, including shirts, photos, boots and balls, check out icons.com now!

Photos courtesy of Matt Hardy. For more images of Icons’ visit to Barcelona, visit www.matthardyphotography.co.uk.

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Barcelona and Spain Legend Andres Iniesta Signs For Icons Again

November 29, 2015
Signing Sessions

Fresh from our signing with Lionel Messi – and an exceptional performance from Barcelona at Camp Nou – the Icons team were hard at work again on Sunday night as we met with four-time UEFA Champions League winner, two-time UEFA EURO finals conquerer and 2010 FIFA World Cup hero Andres Iniesta in central Barcelona for the second of three signings with Barca’s best.

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Though he may be advancing in age, Andres seems to be as good as ever in his inimitable role as Barcelona’s pass master. The Spaniard was superb in his side’s 4-0 demolition of Real Sociedad on Saturday afternoon (for which Icons must again thank our friend Lionel for pitch-side tickets), and after a historic 2014-15 season in which he and his Blaugrana cohorts cantered to domestic and UEFA Champions League glory, Andres looks to be on track for another remarkable season.

It’s no wonder he was in high spirits as we begun our session.

The 31-year-old merrily added his autograph to our excellent range of new products, including Barcelona home shirts from the previous two seasons, away kits from 2014-15 and 2008-09, and Spain tops from 2013.

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With a collection of his favourite music playing in the background – including Leeds-based rockers Kasabian and Spanish duo Estopa – Andres also signed our latest Nike boots, photos of some of his most glorious moments in the football and, perhaps most exciting of all, two extra special match-worn shirts.

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The first of which came directly from Spain’s 2-0 victory over England in the nations’ recent friendly in Alicante on November 13. Andres played a pivotal role during the first half that evening as his side eased to victory over Roy Hodgson’s Three Lions and further showcased their strength in depth ahead of next summer’s UEFA EURO 2016 tournament in France.

Soon after Andres signed his matchworn Barcelona shirt from the recent Clasico in which he and his Barca teammates humiliated Real Madrid with a 4-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeau. It was Andres that evening who, as per usual, pulled the strings as Barcelona ran riot against their La Liga rivals. Proving his enduring class, Andres sprayed the ball around the park with consulate ease and deadly accuracy before scoring with a fierce strike at the end of a typically devastating Barca move.

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This is a truly special item and will be available on icons.com very soon – so keep your eyes peeled.

After all our products were signed, Andres happily posed for photos with the Icons team before being whisked away – presumably to bed before an early morning training session. A training session Icons might get to have a sneak of, as we prepare to complete our hat-trick of Barcelona signings with the addition of a certain Luis Suarez on Monday morning.Andres-Inesta-Icons

Phew! What a weekend!

Be sure to check out icons.com for all our latest products from Andres, Leo and Luis as we continue to bring you the world’s best signed memorabilia from the world’s best footballers in the build-up to Christmas 2016.

Photos courtesy of Matt Hardy. For more images of Icons’ visit to Barcelona, visit www.matthardyphotography.co.uk.

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He’s Back! Lionel Messi Signs For Icons

November 27, 2015
Signing Sessions

Icons met Lionel Messi again on November 27 for our latest signing session with the FC Barcelona and Argentina legend. The forward was all smiles as he signed our latest range of products and with yet more signings to come over the next few days, be sure to keep your eye on icons.com.

Lionel Messi Icons Memorabilia

Lionel Messi signed some new stunning products for us including a selection of beautiful photographs from his incredible ongoing career.

Lionel Messi Signing Photos For Icons.com

Photos courtesy of Matt Hardy. For more images of Icons’ visit to Barcelona, visit www.matthardyphotography.co.uk.

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To see our Lionel Messi product range click Icons.

 


Cristiano Ronaldo: Anatomy Of An Icons Signing

October 30, 2015
Signing Sessions

Want to know what went down when Icons met up with Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this week? Well, look no further. Here’s how the team got on in the company of the Real Madrid and Portugal legend.

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On 10 March, a mere month after Icons’ last signing with Cristiano Ronaldo, the Real Madrid superstar scored two goals in his side’s 5-4 aggregate defeat of Schalke in the UEFA Champions League. In doing so, he further cemented his place as one of the greatest players in the grand history of European football.

Why?

Because Ronaldo’s brace that night – his 77th and 78th goals in UEFA club competitions – broke Raul’s all-time record, setting in motion another incredible year for the Portuguese forward. A year in which he became both the UEFA Champions League and Real Madrid’s all-time leading scorer; secured a place at UEFA EURO 2016 as part of a Portugal side who won all but one match during qualification (Ronaldo missed that particular game); netted 44 goals in 46 games for club and country; and announced the release date and trailer for a highly-anticipated documentary about his life.

So it’s no surprise the 30-year-old phenomenon was all smiles when he arrived at our signing.

Cheerfully autographing our exclusive range of excellent new products, Ronaldo promptly signed each variety of our new Real Madrid shirts, with UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and La Liga patches; plus Nike boots; photos; and official UEFA Champions League balls. But one particular product that caught the forward’s eye was our new All-Time Top Scorer 324 Goals shirt, which commemorates his breaking of Raul’s all-time scoring record for Real Madrid.

Ronaldo then moved on to our Manchester United home shirts. This brought back fond memories, as always. The former Red Devils star, who played nearly 200 times for the Old Trafford club, still has a great love of England, as he mentioned how he wishes he could return more often than he is able to.

Excited for the upcoming release of a documentary that follows his sparkling career – for which Ronaldo has personally invited Icons to the glitzy London premiere – this is superstar who has plenty to look forward to as the year comes to a close. But we at Icons are sure you can expect much more from this exceptional footballer in 2016.

Our new and exclusive range of Cristiano Ronaldo products is only available now on www.icons.com.

Follow Icons on Twitter for all the latest football news, chat and competitions: @icons_football


Neymar Jr Returns! Brazilian Talisman Signs With Icons Again

August 12, 2015
Signing Sessions

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We saw Neymar for another special signing session on August 6th 2015 in Barcelona. Once again a pleasure to work with, the Brazilian offered the highest level of professionalism possible. Regarded as one of the most exciting talents to hit the international stage in years, Neymar Junior has the world at his feet. The Brazilian boy wonder is part of the most dangerous attacking force on the planet and in 2015, Neymar is set to take the world by storm once again with Brazil and Barcelona.

At just 23 years of age, Neymar has achieved more than some footballers do in their entire careers. Dubbed “the new Pele” by the great man himself, the young forward quickly amassed plaudits following his Santos debut aged 17. In his first three seasons with Santos, Neymar won three consecutive league titles and was awarded Player of the Year each campaign. He also beat Wayne Rooney and Leo Messi to the prestigious FIFA Goal of the Year award in 2011 for a skilful run and calm finish against Flamenco. At just 18, Neymar made his debut for the Seleção and now just five years later is the focal point and captain of the Brazil national side. He was a constant goal threat at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil before injury ruled him out of the semi-finals. The forwards’s style is rooted in the street football he played growing up in Sao Paulo; all sharp touches, stylish step-overs and incisive flicks.

Joining Barcelona after a sensational 2013 Confederations Cup, Neymar settled quickly, reaching double figures in goals for the Catalan giants in his first season. Neymar’s quick-footed flair and incredible pace make him a joy to watch; but it’s his devastating finishing that looks set to make him a legend and Icon for years to come.  He now partners Leo Messi and Luis Suarez in the most feared strike force in the world and one that led Barcelona to an unprecedented treble in 2015, ending the season with a personal 39 goals in all competitions.

Other superstars such as the likes of Xavi Hernandez, Ronaldinho and retired World Cup winner Ronaldo have all identified Neymar as the next best player in the world. Will 2015 see Neymar inherit that title from the man who just so happens to be a teammate?  Whatever the outcome, fans are in for a treat as the best players in the world vie for football’s top prize.

New range of signed Neymar Junior memorabilia

Neymar has been signing with Icons since 2012, just before his £71.5 million move to Spain.

Neymar memorabilia is hugely popular on icons.com and we are delighted to stock products carrying the authentic Neymar Junior autograph. These include current and previous Barcelona and Brazil shirts as well as seminal photographs and posters signed by all three of the amigos. Don’t miss out on these ultimate collector’s items, a must-have for any true Barcelona fan.


Leo Messi: Ten Years An Icon

August 11, 2015
Signing Sessions

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Title after title, honour after honour, record after record, Barcelona and Argentina superstar Leo Messi has written his way into the history books as one of the greatest to ever play the game. In that space of time, Messi has won four Champions Leagues, seven La Liga titles, three Spanish Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups, among various other honours. Add to that his four straight Ballon d’Or awards between 2009 and 2012 and countless golden boots.

In 2014-15, the 28-year-old teamed up with Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr to form the world’s most deadly attacking trio. Together they claimed the treble with Barcelona, culminating in a 3-1 defeat of Juventus in a typically ruthless display at the showpiece Champions League final in Berlin. It was a fitting way for Messi to mark ten years in the red and blue of Barcelona.

Having made his debut for the club back in October 2004, he was soon showing fans the sort of flair that would come to exemplify his electric playing style. The 2005-06 season would be Messi’s breakthrough year, as he played a significant role in Barcelona’s league and Champions League double. Records would soon tumble, as Messi emerged as the club’s most talented young star. The world at large began to notice his immeasurable talent in the 2006-07 season after he scored a number of marvellous goals, including an incredible solo effort against Getafe at the Camp Nou.

Barca were Champions League winners again in 2009, with Messi scoring the second goal in a 2-0 defeat of Manchester United in Rome. By now the world was in awe of Messi and his Barcelona teammates Xavi and Andres Iniesta. It was also to be the year that Messi would win his first of four consecutive Ballon d’Ors. A year later he would equal Ronaldo’s record for league goals in a single season as Barca secured the second of what would be three back-to-back La Liga titles.

But many will argue that 2010-11 was the ultimate season for Messi and Barcelona. Under Pep Guardiola, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, David Villa and co. added to their league title with a third Champions League triumph in six years. Their Wembley coronation came after another defeat of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United and, just as in 2009, Messi was on hand to score a vital goal – a swerving shot from just outside the box that bamboozled United keeper Edwin van der Sar and put Barcelona 2-1 up.

In 2011-12 Messi became Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer, amassing more goals than Cesar Rodriguez’s 232 following a superb hat-trick against Granada. It came just two days after he’d scored five in one match against Bayer Leverkusen in a remarkable Champions League victory. He ended 2012 with a record for most goals in a calendar year, having notched 91 for club and country, eclipsing Gerd Muller’s long-established benchmark of 85.

As of last season, Leo was showing little sign of slowing down, having finally overtaken Raul to become the Champions League’s all-time leading goalscorer and surpassing Telmo Zarra’s mark as La Liga’s most prolific marksman. Thanks in no small part to the explosive and unstoppable front three of Messi, Suarez and Neymar Jr, Barcelona swept aside all before them to complete their second ever treble-winning campaign.

At the time of writing, Messi has accumulated 24 club titles, 412 goals in 482 games for Barcelona and is just ten shy of becoming Argentina’s all-time topscorer. Whatever the future holds for this mercurial genius, Leo Messi has in a single decade broken more records and won more honours and awards than almost any other footballer in the history of the sport.

We at Icons are immensely proud to be celebrating ten years of signings with Leo Messi. Every piece of official Messi-signed merchandise is created under license by Icons Shop Ltd and now comes with an official Messi signed merchandise Certificate of Authenticity, which carries an image of Leo signing the product line.

The full range is exclusively available on Icons.com.