11 Aralık 2010

 Barcelona has made a lucrative shirt sponsorship deal by agreeing a five-year, €150m partnership with the
Qatar Foundation or €30m per year. Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid each earn about €23.5m
a year for their rights, while Bayern Munich make closer to €27m.

The La Liga club has previously refused
shirt deals and instead paid international children's charity UNICEF to carry its logo. However, Barcelona will
receive payments from 2011-12 from the nonprofit organization located in the gulf state. Barcelona says it is
seeking a way to combine the two logos but UNICEF will remain the prevalent one if a solution cannot be
found. Barcelona's maroon and blue striped shirt was without a sponsor before it put the children's charity on
its front in 2006. This marks the first time in the Catalan team's 111-year history it will be paid to advertise.
However, the club‟s large debt level means it is no longer in a position to turn down valuable income. 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". The Qatar Foundation is a non-
profit organisation which has projects focusing on education, scientific research and community
development. It was founded by Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, in 1995. The deal is
another sign of Qatar's growing commitment to football and follows FIFA‟s decision to award the 2022 World
Cup to the country. "With this agreement, Barca have become the undisputed brand leader in world football,
far ahead of international rivals," said one of Barca's vice-presidents Javier Faus. A summer audit into
Barcelona's finances revealed the club's debt stood at €442m after a loss of more than €77m last 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.{jcomments on}

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