Barcelona to have their first commercial sponsor

Qatar Airways are going to be Football Club Barcelona’s first commercial sponsor in the 113-year history of the club.

The airline will replace the charity Qatar foundation as the shirt sponsor from 1^st July 2013. The deal is estimated to be £25m -a-year. The deal put in place in 2010 was originally the most lucrative only to be eclipsed by Arsenal’s deal with the Emirates, which was estimated at £30m a year and could become the 3^rd highest when deal involving Chevrolet and Manchester united goes through.

Some of the Catalonia faithful are not happy with the deal betrays the tradition of the club of having no corporate sponsors. Barcelona are famously known as the ‘people’s club’ and are owned entirely by supporters who elect the directors and vote on key decisions. In fact the supporters voted in favor of having commercial sponsors on club’s kit back in 2003.

Speaking on the occasion club President Sandro Rosell whose term runs out in 2014 said:

“We are delighted to be working with Qatar Airways. We share lots of values, and one of them is the search for excellence. We have lots of supporters and Qatar has lots of customers.

“This deal is good for our club, good for our city and good for our country.”

Rosell also said that the club had rejected many other lucrative offers which did not match club’s philosophy.

With the economy being as it is every club needs support, especially the one who will be competing on many fronts.