Chelsea striker Joao Pedro has revealed that he has trademarked his goal celebration. The Brazil international marks his goals by covering his face with the palm of his hand and pulling a 'thumbs down' pose with the other. The 25-year-old, who wears the No9 shirt for the Blues, has also trademarked 'JP9' as his own.
The forward has been in good form for his club this season, scoring five goals in six Premier League appearances. His performances have helped Chelsea into fourth place in the table in Xabi Alonso's first season in charge at Stamford Bridge, where Joao Pedro has established himself as the Spaniard's first-choice centre-forward.
LinkedIn Announcement
The former Watford and Brighton forward took to the business social media platform LinkedIn to issue the update. In his post, he explained the significance of the number 9 shirt and his vision for the JP9 identity.
"Having the number 9 shirt at Chelsea means a lot to me, but I've always wanted JP9 to represent something beyond football," he wrote. "After conversations with [headphone company] Beats about my Brazilian heritage and my vision for celebrating JP9, they designed a logo that reflects who I am, both on and off the pitch."
Protecting the Identity
Joao Pedro detailed how the logo now features on his custom Beats headphones, and how he worked with his team to protect the identity, including his goal celebration.
"I have trademarked both JP9 and my celebration. For me, it's about building something that has meaning beyond the game and creating an identity that I can continue to develop throughout my career," he added.
Future Plans
The striker expressed excitement about exploring how JP9 can take shape across different products and projects in the future, bringing more of his personality and interests into what he does beyond the pitch.
"This is another step towards building something of my own, with the ambition to create an identity that grows with me throughout my career and beyond football," he concluded.
