Top five shirt sponsors in European football

Sponsors are a key part of any successful sports team and big sports entitites have a multitude of backers. The major and most visible sponsors for a sports team are the ones whose names are featured on the jersey.

In European football, for example, the Premier League allows one main shirt sponsor and one on the sleeve, while teams in Ligue 1 are allowed multiple.

As the transfer window approaches and teams begin to spend money on buying players, it's worth a look to see which teams receive the most revenue from their main shirt deal. The money is used in different areas of the club, for example, on players.

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#5 Manchester United - Sponsor - TeamViewer - €55 million

Manchester United v Atalanta: Group F - UEFA Champions League

Manchester United are the marketing kings of the football world. From instant noodle deals to tech company TeamViewer. They generate plenty of revenue off the pitch. It is one of the main reasons the club maintains its relevance even when on the pitch they have been poor. TeamViewer signed with United in 2021, and they have allowed the club to spend more in the market.

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#4 Manchester City - Sponsor - Etihad - €55 million

Manchester City v Norwich City - Premier League

Abu Dhabi group owns Manchester City. Etihad also pays an early fee for naming rights to the stadium, putting the total sum at €79 million. Unlike Manchester United, City are a successful team on the pitch and aren't as heavily reliant on shirt deals given the wealth of their owners. City continue to be successful, and Etihad benefits from that success.

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#3 Barcelona - Sponsor - Spotify - €57.5 million

FC Barcelona v Athletic Club - La Liga Santander

Barcelona's recent business deals left them on the verge of financial ruin, but the new Spotify deal is a godsend for them. The deal becomes active at the start of the 2022-2023 season, and Spotify also has partial naming rights to the Camp Nou. Spotify will display its logo but will also display logos of different artists at times during the season.

It is a far cry from a team that used to display UNICEF on the front of their shirts, but to be competitive, Barcelona will have to sell themselves to make money. The deal should allow them to sign a few players and be active in the transfer market. The club is still recovering from years of mismanagement.

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#2 Paris Saint-Germain - Sponsor - Accor - €65 million

Manchester City v Paris Saint-Germain: Group A - UEFA Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain are not short of shirt deals. Owned by Qatar Sports Investments, they have no shortage of wealth to call upon. Along with Accor, they also have tie-ups with Jordan and other brands. Accor's sponsorship helps them pay their astronomical player wages, among other things.

PSG's recent renewal of Kylian Mbappe's contract involved unthinkable amounts of money. The level at which PSG function is completely different from even the richest clubs in Europe. They are a state-owned football team that has made a mockery of the vague rules set out in financial fair play.

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#1 Real Madrid - Sponsor - Emirates - €70 million

Liverpool FC v Real Madrid - UEFA Champions League Final 2021/22

Real Madrid are arguably the most famous team in world football and recently won their 14th Champions League title. Real Madrid were the original big spenders in world football and could go to any team and poach their best players. The only team in recent memory that has managed to stall them is PSG during the much publicised Mbappe saga.

Real Madrid went through a stadium renovation and have been spending less amounts on transfers in recent seasons. That has changed this summer, and especially after Mbappe's rejection, it looks like they will be spending large amounts once again. Emirates has been a long-time sponsor and will continue to proudly display their name on the kits.