▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁L otto ▁made ▁its ▁debut ▁as ▁a ▁sports ▁foot we ar ▁manufact urer . ▁Tennis ▁sho es ▁sign aled ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁production , ▁followed ▁by ▁models ▁for ▁basketball , ▁vol ley ball , ▁athlet ics ▁and ▁football . ▁ ▁Sports ▁cl othing ▁was ▁the ▁company ' s ▁next ▁vent ure . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁ten ▁years , ▁L otto ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁Italian ▁market . ▁During ▁its ▁first ▁de cade , ▁corpor ate ▁strategy ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁making ▁tennis ▁foot we ar ▁and ▁cl othing , ▁and ▁early ▁on ▁spons ored ▁big ▁names ▁from ▁the ▁professional ▁tennis ▁circuit ▁( Mart ina ▁Nav rat il ova , ▁Bor is ▁Be cker , ▁Thomas ▁M uster , ▁Andrea ▁Ga uden zi ). ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁L otto ▁moved ▁on ▁to ▁bro aden ▁its ▁business ▁base ▁by ▁compet ing ▁among ▁the ▁then - small ▁group ▁of ▁manufact ur ers ▁of ▁football ▁bo ots ▁and ▁cl othing . ▁L otto ▁began ▁to ▁create ▁its ▁first ▁football ▁boot ▁models ▁and ▁signed ▁major ▁collaboration ▁agre ements ▁with ▁intern ation ally ▁ren owned ▁players ▁and ▁teams . ▁Tennis ▁players ▁John ▁New com be , ▁And rés ▁Gó mez ▁and ▁José ▁Luis ▁C ler c ▁wore ▁the ▁brand ' s ▁tennis ▁products . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁spons or ship ▁agre ements ▁in ▁football ▁were ▁signed ▁with ▁players ▁( D ino ▁Z off ▁and ▁Ru ud ▁G ull it ) ▁and ▁teams , ▁such ▁as ▁Milan