German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen has agreed a deal with Uefa, football’s European governing body, to sponsor its national team competitions.
The four-year contract begins in 2018 and names Volkswagen as the official mobility partner of Uefa national team football.
The deal covers the Euro 2020 tournament, which will take place across a host of cities in 13 countries for the first time to mark the event’s 60th anniversary.
Volkswagen will use the tournament to promote the market launch of the I.D., which will be the face of its new e-mobility family from 2020.
Volkswagen replaces Korean manufacturer Hyundai as Uefa’s automotive partner for the European Championships.
The partnership also covers the Women’s Euro, Under 21 Championships, Futsal Euro, and the final tournament of Uefa’s new Nations League competition, which will debut in 2019. Volkswagen will also be granted a range of rights relating to the qualification campaign for Euro 2020.
The deal grants the company advertising and promotional rights, digital rights, tickets and hospitality packages.
Jürgen Stackmann, Volkswagen brand board member for sales, said: “We are striking out in a new direction with the sponsorship of Uefa national team football, which fits in well with the start of I.D. sales: to mark the launch of our new generation of highly-innovative electric vehicles, the Volkswagen brand is for the first time building on an international communication platform in football that will generate positive interest not only throughout Europe, but also further afield. We are hugely excited.”
The deal strengthens Volkswagen’s football portfolio, with the company having last month agreed a deal to become a partner of the German Football Association (DFB) in a five-year contract beginning in 2019. Volkswagen also holds partnerships with the French Football Federation (FFF) and the Swiss Football Association (ASF/SFV).
Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director of Uefa, said: “We are proud to have such a great European brand with such a genuine passion for football at our side. That holds especially true given the tasks that lie ahead of us: Uefa Euro 2020 will place the most rigorous demands on mobility.”