Spain

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has furthered its drive to expand its global footprint by announcing that the cities of Bilbao, Manchester, Manila and Rio de Janeiro will host pre-season games for the first time under its 2013-14 ‘Global Games’ schedule.

FC Barcelona on Monday unveiled Qatar Airways as the club’s first commercial shirt sponsor, with the agreement set to represent world football’s most lucrative shirt deal until Manchester United’s new partnership with Chevrolet commences in the 2014-15 season.

FC Barcelona has extended its partnership with telecommunications firm Etisalat through to June 30, 2017, while the club has announced it will unveil its new shirt sponsorship agreement with Qatar Airways on March 4.

Real Madrid has agreed a new sponsorship deal with Nivea for Men in a partnership which will run through to the end of the 2015-16 season.

Alejandro Blanco has been re-elected as the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), stating his immediate main objective is to help Madrid win the right to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal has confirmed long-running speculation that he has left the IMG Worldwide agency to establish his own company with agent Carlos Costa.

The Spanish Football League (LFP) has unveiled details of new rules designed to stop clubs overspending on players, with the country’s Secretary of State for Sport Miguel Cardenal hailing the news as a “profound cultural shift”.

FC Barcelona has made an innovative move in the digital sphere by launching an official social media platform.

Tokyo 2020 has further enhanced the commercial backing for its bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games by announcing five new partnerships, while Madrid has strengthened its proposition by appointing Felipe, Prince of Asturias, as honorary president of its bid.

Deportivo La Coruna has become the latest Spanish Primera Division football club to seek assistance to avoid going out of business after announcing on Thursday that it has filed for bankruptcy protection.

Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo on Monday submitted their candidature files to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the race to host the 2020 Summer Games moved into a decisive phase ahead of September’s final vote.

MotoGP’s commercial rights holder Dorna Sports has ended speculation over the future of the Spanish Grand Prix by announcing that it has agreed a deal to keep the race in its key marketplace until at least 2015.

Warrior Sports has made its second major entry into the football market by agreeing a five-year kit deal with leading Spanish Primera Division club Sevilla.

FC Barcelona has announced that Qatar Airways will take over as the club’s shirt sponsor from the start of the 2013-14 season as part of the Spanish Liga giant’s agreement with Qatar Sports Investments (QSI).

Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim, the world’s richest man, has taken control of struggling Spanish club Real Oviedo.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) has confirmed that the 2014 Road World Championships will remain in Ponferrada, after the Spanish city met financial and organisational guarantees.