FIFA signs World Cup sponsors – but meeting to focus on ISL

But the headlines are set to focus once again on FIFA’s relationship with the doomed Swiss marketing giant when FIFA’s executive committee hold an extraordinary meeting next week.
Top of the agenda are the issues arising from the collapse and the impact on soccer’s governing body.
However, president Sepp Blatter – already under increasing pressure following his handling of the situation – will make much of the success of FIFA Marketing – a department staffed primarily by ex-ISL football department members.
Contracts have been signed with an additional three sponsors, Avaya (USA), Toshiba (Japan), and NTT (Japan), for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan. All three are involved in the information technology area.
“The fact that FIFA Marketing AG, set up as a precautionary measure by FIFA at the start of April, has already been able to successfully conclude these negotiations in such a short period of time speaks volumes for the quality of the staff, and proves that FIFA was correct to assume full control of all marketing matters,” said Blatter.
Avaya is a global leader in the new area of corporate networking solutions, Toshiba will focus on computer hardware, while NTT will provide services in the area of telecommunications in Japan, in much the same way as Korea Telecom in South Korea.
FIFA has now signed contracts with a total of 13 sponsors for the 2002 World Cup and can have a maximum of 15 official sponsors on board.