Italian top-tier football club Cagliari has replaced its shirt sponsor for two Serie A games due to contractual problems.
Sardinian dairy brand Brigante was the club’s shirt sponsor for the 0-0 draw with Parma on Sunday and will also be on the club’s shirts in the game against Juventus on Thursday.
The short-term deal is due to missed payments by the club’s 2014-15 season sponsor Sardinia Promotion, the agency that promotes the region, according to Mario Passetti, Cagliari’s sales and marketing director.
While Cagliari will wear the Brigante name for the two games, Sardinia will continue to be promoted via the club’s stadium billboards and LED screens.
Brigante is owned by F.lli Pinna, which has an annual turnover of €60m ($74.5m) and exports its products to the US, Russia and South East Asia.
Passetti said: “The agreement with the F.lli Pinna is consistent with the will of Cagliari football club to be a promoter and a vehicle of opportunity for its own country.”