The long-term deal between German soccer heavyweights Bayern Munich and the Emirates Airline has been formalized.
A tie-up unveiled yesterday (August 6) positions Emirates as a platinum club partner of the Bundesliga champions through the 2031-32 campaign, with recent reports suggesting it will be worth €5 million ($5.7 million) per year.
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Michael Diederich, Bayern's deputy chair, has said: "FC Bayern is very pleased to have gained a strong and shining partner in Emirates, which has been a committed supporter of club football in Europe for decades. FC Bayern also needs financial planning security to achieve its sporting goals, so Emirates is an ideal fit for our club's family of partners."
Emirates becomes the club’s 10th platinum partner, joining Betano, Bitpanda, EA Sports, Einhell, Paulaner, Visit Rwanda, Schwarz Digits, Viessmann, and Volksbank Raiffeisenbank. They sit below top-tier sponsors Adidas, front-of-shirt sponsor Deutsche Telekom (with whom a five-year extension is reportedly in the works), Audi, and Allianz.
The Bavarian outfit previously had a partnership with Qatar Airways but cut ties with the carrier after pressure from fans.
The agreement, which was in place between 2018 and 2023, drew strong criticism from fans, who voiced their anger about the club being sponsored by a country facing allegations of human rights violations, including LGBTQ rights and the treatment of migrant workers.
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By GlobalDataBefore Qatar Airways, Bayern had a tie-up with German airline Lufthansa.
Emirates, meanwhile, already has shirt sponsorship deals in place with several major European clubs, including Real Madrid, Arsenal, AC Milan, and Benfica. It also puts its name to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.
Bayern have won the 18-team Bundesliga in 12 of the last 13 seasons and regularly reach the latter stages of the top-tier, pan-European UEFA Champions League tournament.
