Atlético de Madrid has signed a new sponsorship deal with the Republic of Azerbaijan until June 2015. The club made the announcement the day before the Madrid derby, taking advantage of the build-up to the big match to break the news, which comes after months of negotiations.

The new deal was made official minutes after the first team finished its last training session, carried out behind closed doors just a stone's throw from the banks of the Manzanares river. Manquillo was the only member of the squad not present, as he is still recovering from a neck injury, but all the coaching staff turned out for the occasion, as did club chairman, Enrique Cerezo. The Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Spain, Altai Efendiev, was there on behalf of the sponsors, joined by the executive director of Baku FC, Yashar Seyidov, as well as the country's under-16 squad.

The deal will last for the rest of this season and the next, but it isn't just limited to the logo on Atlético's jersey. The scope of the new agreement will be much wider to include business and sporting interests. Atlético chairman Enrique Cerezo outlined the deal in his speech: "This is a groundbreaking sponsorship deal, making it possible to develop joint ventures simultaneously. In just one year, we have been able to project the image of Azerbaijan all around the world and strengthen the relationship between our two countries."

As a result, Atlético is now looking to find the right moment to pay a visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan or organise a friendly in another country.

ANN.Az