Etihad Airways has refuted claims that it has agreed a shirt sponsorship deal with Italian Serie A football club Inter Milan.
Inter’s deal with current shirt sponsor, tyre manufacturer Pirelli, is due to expire at the end of the 2015-16 season. Reports in Italian newspapers Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere della Sella, among others, claimed the Abu Dhabi-based airline was set to replace Pirelli from the 2016-17 campaign onwards.
The reports suggested that Etihad had agreed a five-year deal worth €125m ($142m) with Inter. However, Etihad has flatly denied the claims.
A spokesperson for the airline told UAE newspaper Sport360: “Etihad Airways denies the reports and speculation that the airline is to become a sponsor of Inter Milan football club in Italy. The airline is not in talks with the club and there is no truth to these rumours.”