Barcelona reconsider £123m Qatar kit deal
28.01.2015 18:30
Barcelona are set to review their commercial sponsorship relationship with Qatar after the worsening 'social and political' situation in the Gulf State.
The Catalans signed a lucrative deal worth around £123.4m with Qatar Sports Investments in 2010, which expires next year with president Josep Maria Bartomeu confirming the club are considering their future kit sponsorship options.
Speaking to RAC1, Bartomeu admitted that a change in the 'social and political' situation in Qatar has caused the club to reconsider.
'We will look at other options - we are obliged to do that,' he said.
'It ends in 2016. We are sensitive to the current situation in Qatar, which has changed since four years ago. Now there are social and political aspects which were not there when we signed.
'We must be sensitive about what is happening and make the best decision for Barcelona. [Agents] IMG are studying it and working with us. We will see when it happens in October 2015.'
The former Champions League winners used to one of the few sides in world football without a corporate kit sponsor on their shirts when they used to bear only the UNICEF logo.
The UNICEF logo still appears on the back of Barcelona's shirts, with the club donating £1.25m to the children's charity each year.
However, Bartomeu branded the former relationship as 'utopian' and believes that any repeat of a charity sponsorship would leave Barcelona struggling to compete with their rivals.
'The situation in football has changed a lot,' he said. 'We must be competitive with the rest of the teams. Now we have seen how the Chinese have come into Atletico Madrid and the Asians at Valencia.
'It is utopian for UNICEF to be on the jersey, but we will continue to cooperate with them. The proof is our '1 in 11' project. UNICEF is like a family. We have been together for many years.'
(dailymail.co.uk)
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