Qatar News

Qatar Airways hopes to maintain commercial ties with Barcelona despite ending its contract

Mon 13 Rabi Al Awwal 1438 12-12-2016
QGN Bureau Staff

 

Qatar Airways seeks to extend commercial links with Barcelona. Qatar Airways hopes to maintain commercial ties with Barcelona despite ending its contract to sponsor the Spanish champions’ shirts, CEO Akbar Al Baker said on Monday. Barca signed the most lucrative shirt sponsorship deal in world soccer last month by agreeing a four-year deal with Japanese internet retailer Rakuten worth 55 million euros ($58.9 million) a year. Qatar Airways will cease to be the club’s shirt sponsor from next season and Al Baker did not hide his disappointment at losing out to Rakuten.
CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar al-Baker (L), and Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, Hassan al-Thawadi, pose with the cup of the match during a press conference in Doha
CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar al-Baker (L), and Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, Hassan al-Thawadi, pose with the cup of the match during a press conference in Doha

“It’s unfortunate that we were not selected. Our contract finishes next June but we are having conversations about being the club’s main airline partner,” Al Baker told a news conference on Monday ahead of Barcelona’s friendly with Al-Ahli Saudi in Doha on Tuesday.
“When we finish discussions and things are clearer we’ll decide if we stay together or not. Right now we have various teams that want us to sponsor them so we’ll take our time to decide what direction we take.” Barca have named a full-strength squad for the friendly, which was agreed as part of the sponsorship deal, despite facing Espanyol in a local derby on Sunday. The Catalan club used to be renowned for having no sponsor on their shirts but ended that tradition in 2010 by signing a record 30 million euro per year deal with the Qatar Foundation.