German Bundesliga football club Bayer 04 Leverkusen has ended its search for a new main and shirt sponsor after agreeing a three-year deal with LG Electronics.
The contract between the club and the Korean electronics giant will run through to June 30, 2016, with the LG logo set to make its debut on Leverkusen’s shirts during Saturday’s away game at Schalke 04.
Leverkusen, which finished third in the Bundesliga last season, opened the new season with its shirt bearing the brand of the German Bone Marrow Donor Database (DKMS) after failing to secure a new commercial partner in time for the 2013-14 kick-off.
Leverkusen has been searching for a new shirt sponsor after SunPower concluded its partnership at the end of last season due to a change in “tax and economic conditions” for the solar sector in the European market. The club had agreed a three-year contract with the American company, which manufactures high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, in the summer of 2011.
Leverkusen managing director Wolfgang Holzhäuser said that the club would retain ties to DKMS alongside its new partnership with LG.
Commenting on the new deal, he added: “We always said we were looking for a strong, long-term main sponsor and that we would not allow ourselves to be put under pressure in making a particular choice or during negotiations. We have now achieved that aim. Bayer 04 and LG want to create a win-win situation on a national and international basis.”
Under the terms of the deal, Leverkusen’s new signing Heung Min Son will become a brand ambassador for LG Electronics.