Leverkusen deal continues Opel’s Bundesliga drive

Car manufacturer Opel has extended its partnership with German Bundesliga football club Bayer 04 Leverkusen through 2016.

The deal further strengthens Opel’s presence in German football after it sealed a similar sponsorship extension with Leverkusen’s Bundesliga counterpart SC Freiburg.

Opel, a subsidiary of US automotive giant General Motors, ended a 10-year absence from football sponsorship in 2012 and now backs four Bundesliga clubs including Borussia Dortmund and FSV Mainz 05, along with 2.Bundesliga outfit Fortuna Düsseldorf.

The group has prominent football deals in place across Europe. Like fellow Uefa Champions League competitors Leverkusen and Dortmund, Turkish giant Galatasaray partners with Opel and Romanian team FC Petrolul Ploiesti and Dutch club Feyenoord hold shirt sponsorship deals with the manufacturer.