GERMAN BUNDESLIGA.2 club 1860 Munich, which was close to financial collapse earlier this year, has signed a main sponsorship deal with British sports car brand Aston Martin with immediate effect.
The contract with the German club, reportedly worth several million euros annually, is the first engagement for Aston Martin in German professional football and was apparently facilitated by the club’s multi-millionaire Jordanian investor Hasan Ismaik.
In May, Ismaik took a 60 per cent stake in the club, making TSV 1860 Munchen GmbH & Co. KGaA the first club in German professional football with a foreign shareholder.
According to a press release from MARYA, Ismaik’s private Abu Dhabi-based investment company, Ismaik also “initiated” the Aston Martin deal. How was this done? Well, Hasan Ismaik is also partner in the Munich-based marketing agency H.I. Squared International, which mediated the partnership.
Commenting on the deal, Dr. Ulrich Bez, Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin, said: “Today, Aston Martin enjoys a strong financial foundation. This has put us in a position to engage in activities that had previously not been part of our core strategies. The commitment will increase the brand visibility of Aston Martin in Germany, one of our most important markets.”
Exact financial details of the deal were not released but Aston Martin reported that it is the most lucrative main sponsor contract signed by 1860 since 2004, as well as Aston Martins’ biggest sports sponsorship to date.