German Bundesliga football club Werder Bremen has extended its partnership with Volkswagen, despite the automotive giant having been hit by an emissions scandal in recent weeks.
Klaus Filbry, Werder’s manager of marketing, management and finance, told the Kreiszeitung newspaper that a two-year extension clause had been activated several weeks ago committing Volkswagen to the club until the end of the 2017-18 season.
Volkswagen will continue to serve as the club’s official car partner and retain its position in the second-tier of the team’s sponsorship pyramid alongside official kit partner Nike.
Volkswagen will also continue to provide the club with a fleet of its vehicles for use by management and players. Kreiszeitung said the contract is worth approximately €2m ($2.3m) per season.
The extension comes at an uncertain time for Volkswagen, which has been hit by scandal in recent weeks after admitting to cheating diesel emissions tests in the United States, while the firm has also been accused of manipulating results in Europe.
Volkswagen also owns Bundesliga team VfL Wolfsburg and, according to the Reuters news agency, injects an estimated €100m into the club each season. The firm also holds a host of other partnerships in the Bundesliga.