FC BARCELONA has announced Qatar Airways as the Spanish club’s first commercial shirt sponsor, in one of world football’s most lucrative shirt deals.
The sponsorship, from 2013-14 to 2015-16, is part of the club’s agreement with Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), widely reported to be worth around €30m per year.
Barcelona’s current contract with QSI, which began in 2011-12, initially saw the club have the Qatar Foundation logo on their shirts, but with an option of including a new logo on the shirt from the third season of the agreement.
Non-profit organisation Qatar Foundation had previously succeeded Unicef as shirt sponsor of the Catalan side, with the humanitarian institution becoming the first brand to occupy Barcelona’s famous shirts after the club first agreed to such deals back in August 2003.
The new agreement will see Qatar Foundation revert to the role of Official Human Development Partner of the Spanish Primera División outfit.
Barcelona’s financial vice-president, Javier Faus, said the shirt deal will be “the best paid in the world” until Manchester United’s new deal with Chevrolet takes effect.
The American car company have agreed a deal with the Old Trafford side, starting from the 2014-15 season, which will bring in a record-breaking $559m (€423.5m) over the seven-year agreement – around $80m (€60.6m) per year.
By Robin Jellis