Qatar looks for new sponsorship deals

DOHA Qatar Airways, the outgoing shirt sponsor of Spanish giants Barcelona, is talking with other football clubs about potential deals, the company’s chief executive said on Monday.

Akbar Al-Baker though refused to say if the Gulf carrier is now looking towards a potential sponsorship deal with a team in the English Premier League.

“We are looking at negotiating further with clubs that will give a very good reflection of our brand,” said Al-Baker.

He added: “We represent a very strong international brand, recognised all over the world.”

“We will look at other opportunities, of course, because sport is a very important branding platform for airlines.”

The current deal runs out at the end of next June, bringing the curtain down on a sometimes fractious four-year relationship between the Spanish champions and the Gulf carrier.

Some Barcelona club members opposed the deal — estimated in some quarters to be worth 35 million euros annually — because of the controversy over Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers in the run up to the 2022 World Cup finals, which the Emirate will controversially host.

The initial contract ran out last year but was replaced by a 12-month deal announced in July.

Last month, Barcelona announced that Japanese online retailer Rakuten will be its main sponsor for the next four years in a deal worth at least 55 million euros (USD59 million) a year.

“We have lost it unfortunately because somebody had more cash than us,” said Al-Baker.

However, he added that Qatar Airways were currently in talks with the five-times European champions to become the club’s official airline.

He was speaking at a Doha press conference ahead of a friendly match in Qatar on Tuesday between Barcelona and Saudi champions Al-Ahli, who are also sponsored by Qatar Airways.

The game has been billed as the “Match of Champions”, and is the last time Barcelona will play in Qatar as part of the sponsorship deal.

Qatar Airways sponsorship agreements in sport are not limited to Barcelona.

Doha’s Hamad International Airport, which is operated by the airline, has a deal with Bayern Munich.

And in a further agreement announced in August, the airline said it would receive “prominent branding” at the home games of Australian Football League club Sydney Swans.

sourced:ttrweekly.com