Qatar Airways set to feature on Barca shirts

AFP/Madrid

Barcelona announced yesterday that they will put Qatar Airways on their shirts, displaying a  corporate logo for the first time under a 170mn euro ($210mn) deal approved last year.

Qatar Airways will feature on the Barca shirts for the 2013-2014 season, the Catalan club said.

The airline will replace the Qatar Foundation, which currently features on the front of the Barcelona jersey with the United Nation’s children’s fund Unicef displayed on the back.

Barcelona signed the five-and-a-half year shirt sponsorship, touted as the richest in football history, in December 2010 and it was approved by club members in September last year.

Though the deal signed with Qatar Sports Investments initially placed the Qatar Foundation on the club’s shirts, it included a clause allowing a switch in sponsor after the first two seasons.

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar al-Baker said he would work with Barcelona to benefit both the club’s fans and its passengers.

 “We are delighted to form this alliance with FC Barcelona, the biggest football club in the world. Qatar Airways has been voted Best Airline in the World for two consecutive years (2011 and 2012) and will work with FC Barcelona on activities of benefit both to fans and passengers, offering tangible rewards to both organisations,” al-Baker said.

Barca president Sandro Rosell said in a statement that Barcelona “fully identifies” with Qatar Airways’ commitment to excellence.

The Qatar Foundation  now becomes Barcelona’s “human develop partner”, the club said.

A Qatar Foundation spokesperson added that “when we started this fantastic journey with FC Barcelona, our objective was to work closely with the club, the team and the supporters to promote awareness of Qatar Foundation on an international scale. This has been a huge success”.

The spokesperson said: “In fact, the first two years of the collaboration have surpassed our expectations and we are looking to deepen and strengthen our relationship with FC Barcelona and its supporters around the world in our continued role as a proud partner of the club.”

Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup.

Barcelona, whose players include Argentina star Lionel Messi, currently lead the Spanish league and are eight points ahead of rivals Real Madrid, who are the defending champions.