Russian telecommunications company MegaFon has returned as a general sponsor of the Russian Football Union after signing a new three-year deal with the governing body.
The company previously served as a general sponsor of the RFU from 2010 to 2014 and over the past 10 years the two parties have partnered on a nationwide football competition for teams from children’s homes called The Future Depends on You.
The new agreement will run until the end of 2018 – a period which includes Russia’s staging of the 2018 Fifa World Cup. The status of general sponsor envisages not only financial support for developing Russian football but also promotion of the sport in the country.
Ivan Tavrin, chief executive of MegaFon, said: “I believe that developing sport in Russia is one of the priorities not only of the government level but also for a socially responsible business. For (majority shareholder) Alisher Usmanov and MegaFon, work in this area is one of the main priorities.
“Thanks to the technologies we have at our disposal as a leading telecommunications operator, we can ensure access to football training sessions and sports competitions for all Russians, regardless of which region or city they are in.”
In the near future the partners will present a free app called ‘Mobile Trainer’ through which people will be able to access the latest training methods through their smartphone or tablet.
During Uefa Euro 2016, MegaFon and the RFU will also partner to offer fanzones in which football supporters will be able to watch games.