BRAZILIAN SERIE A football side Santos has agreed a short-term sponsorship deal with the Brazilian arm of Chinese car manufacturer Chery.
The deal will run for three matches and sees the company become the first major sponsor of the club since its long-term partnership with financial institution Banco BMG expired at the end of the 2011-12 season.
The agreement is a “taster” sponsorship with a view to becoming a longer-term partnership if successful.
Under terms of the agreement, the Chery Brasil logo will feature on the front of the Santos shirts in the São Paulo state championship. The deal was negotiated by Santos’s marketing agency BSB.
“Santos has a tradition of being the gateway for some brands to Brazilian football, and with Chery this may be another one of those moments,” said Armênio Neto, marketing manager of Santos.
Chery is the largest independent carmaker in China, and in 2010 agreed a personal endorsement deal with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.