Mastercard said it has been a proud sponsor of the UEFA Champions League since 1994 and is in "ongoing discussions” with UEFA, reviewing how their alliance could be extended.
In a statement the company said: "MasterCard has been a proud sponsor of UEFA Champions League since 1994. Our current sponsorship agreement covers the 2008-2009 seasons which will culminate with the UEFA Champions League Final to be held in Rome, May 2009. We have been having ongoing discussions with UEFA regarding the future of our alliance and are reviewing how this can be extended. We will certainly be in touch with you if and when we do have something to announce."
The statement is in response to the news that banking group UniCredit has signed a deal with UEFA to become an official partner of the UEFA Champions League for the new 2009-2012 cycle, as well as for the UEFA Super Cup in 2009, 2010, 2011.
The deal will see UniCredit leverage the sponsorship through their exclusive product category: banking services and products. Payment systems are not included in UniCredit's product category, theoretically leaving the way clear for Mastercard (a payment system whose customers are banks) to continue its association with the UEFA Champions League.
