Barcelona confirmed on Friday that it had broken with 111 years of tradition by selling its shirt sponsorship rights for the first time. The not-for-profit Foundation runs “education, scientific research and community development” projects in Qatar, which recently secured the hosting rights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“Barcelona needs the money because of the club’s debt which, as we have previously said, is between €420 million and €430 million,” Faus told reporters. “This is the biggest (shirt sponsorship) deal in the history of football and is particularly impressive at a time of economic crisis.”
The Qatar Foundation partnership is worth around €10 million per season more than Bwin’s deal with Barcelona’s fierce rival, Real Madrid, and could rise to a total value of €170 million over five years depending on success on the pitch.
For the past five years, Barcelona has paid UNICEF to carry the latter’s logo on the team’s shirts and, according to the club, the children’s charity will continue to receive exposure next season. Barcelona’s kit manufacturer, Nike, has been handed the task of incorporating both logos on the shirt for the 2011-12 campaign.
The new sponsorship deal was negotiated with input from IMG, the international sports and entertainment company, which was a strategic adviser of the Qatar 2022 bid.
