The blue & red Catalan club were renowned for having no sponsorship on their teams shirts but like all things in life money eventually talks.
In 2006 the Camp Nou suits decreed that the charity UNICEF should adorn the playing shirts, this was to be a forerunner come the 2011-12 season when the Qatar Sports Investments committed all concerned to a five-year €150m deal.
Qatar Foundation adorned the shirts until season 2013.14 with a deal allowing for a commercial sponsor logo to replace the charity logo, two years into the deal.
Qatar Airways took over the prestige spot and “Més que un club” had finally sold all it’s soul to commercialism.
Now just a short time later the sleeves of this prestigious shirt have been auctioned off and white goods manufacturer Beko have their name on one of the most renowned clubs on the planet.
I sincerely hope that this fill-in all you can logo’s does not escalate like the South American & French league teams, what has been refreshing during the World Cup has been the simplistic some would say “plain” kits of the nations involved.
Less is good in this case me thinks.
So from nothing on their shirts Barca’ are starting to fill-in as much as they can on any bit of material that is available, a “Small Faces” song springs to mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjEMHtSCU9M
The president of FC Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu, commented
“FC Barcelona are proud to have Beko as part of the Barça family.
Beko has previously worked in sport, particularly basketball, and they have now put their trust in Barça and we have put our trust in Beko.
We will be beginning a new journey together, which I am sure will bring us both great satisfaction.
It is a shared journey based on commonly held ideas and shared values such as thoroughness, exactitude ambition, teamwork, innovation, a global vocation and passion for what we do.”
Mustafa V. Koç, chairman of the board at Koç Holdings, who own Beko commented,
“Today is the start of what I am sure will be a long and mutually rewarding relationship between Beko and FC Barcelona, because both brands have so many shared values, inspirations and beliefs.”
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