0% Villa: Barcelona's world record new shirt sponsor

[Toronto Villa]

They'll still retain ties with Unicef, but an incredible deal

Barcelona & Qatar Foundation agree £125m shirt deal 
 
Lionel Messi is among the stars currently wearing the Barcelona shirt
Barcelona have ended their long term stance of refusing commercial shirt sponsorship by signing a record £125m deal with the Qatar Foundation.

The Catalan giants have paid to carry the Unicef logo for the last five years and the children's charity will share shirt space with the new sponsors.

Barcelona have a sizeable debt but now claim to be "the undisputed brand leader in world football".

The deal will be worth £25m a year from next season through until 2016.

In July, an audit revealed Barcelona's debt to be £369.5m after a loss of more than £64.36m in the 2009/10 season.

The new sponsorship arrangement could free up some transfer funds for coach Pep Guardiola - who worked as an ambassador for Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

The Qatar Foundation is a non-profit organisation concerned primarily with education projects in the Middle East.

It is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, the wife of the Emir, who was central to Qatar's final World Cup bid last week.

Senior club executives said the deal was a "remarkable milestone because it represents a record level of revenue for a football club and has more value still in the current economic climate".

Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid each earn about £20m a year for their rights, while Bayern Munich make closer to £23m.

Marketing experts will seek to find a way for both logos to be displayed on the Barcelona shirts, although if that is not possible the Unicef name will take priority.

 

[Edvard Remberg]

And Villa earns 20P a year (someone had to start)

[The Left Side]

I think Muller is still more classy, although Mita Copiers runs it a close second.

[Holy Trinity]

no your both wrong, it was dws investments the looked like Cows from a distance that was the classiest of all lol

[cdbearsfan]

I bet the shirts are available to buy before next November too.

[montague]

no your both wrong, it was dws investments the looked like Cows from a distance that was the classiest of all lol

Davenports for me

[Holy Trinity]

showing your age lol

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

With the club in so much debt there finance director wants shooting after sanctioning the Ibrahimovic deal last season.

[bob]

Fucking sell outs

[Legion]

AST

[TopDeck113]

The Qatar Foundation is a non-profit organisation concerned primarily with education projects in the Middle East.

Could someone please explain to be why such an organisation needs to fork out £125m for shirt sponsorship?  Surely that is £125m that is not going to be recouped and would be better spent on educational projects?

I have a number of cynical thoughts, mostly involving another oil-rich Arab's vanity and the need for Qatar to curry favour with leading European clubs between now and when their players will be expected to play in 50 degree heat come 2022.

[1958Villan]

Its probably more a case of softening up the biggest clubs in each country, so that when it comes time to change the European leagues to summertime, so that the Qatar World Cup can be played during the european winter, the most influential clubs in each country will be on side with the changes needed.

[Phil from the upper holte]

AST

I had an AST computer and it was shit, they went bust as did a few of our sponsors.

I think it was only a matter of time before they went down that road with all their debt

[spangley1812]

Barca didnt have much choice with them being so much in debt and with the new rules about playing in European competitions that Platini/Muppet face are bringing in soon

[Surrey Villain]

All part of the deal with Spain that got Qatar the 2022 World Cup.  Watch out for more handouts to Spain/Portugal especially as Qatar are probably feeling a little bit guilty that Spain didn't get 2018 as the other part of the deal.