Which teams will change sponsors next season?
Pirelli's is not the only farewell on the jerseys of Europe's big clubs
March 12th, 2021
After the news was known for months, Inter Milan announced last week that Pirelli will no longer be the jersey sponsor of the Nerazzurri club. The Milan-based company - which has been Inter's main partner for 26 consecutive years - will remain in the Nerazzurri's sponsor block in the coming years, but will no longer appear in the team's playing uniforms. Many hypotheses have been opened up about this, including, as revealed by Corriere dello Sport, a company in the pornographic sector. In any case, Inter will not be the only team to change sponsors next season. In fact, after years of expenses, bonuses and controversy, Manchester United also decided in the end that it will change the current sponsor on the shirt.
The Red Devils announced this week that they had finally stopped with current main trading partner Chevrolet, who guaranteed Manchester United an annual fee of €75 million. The contract with the American company would expire in December 2021, but according to reports in some English and American media, Chevrolet would not be satisfied with Manchester United's results, given that since Chevrloet arrived at Old Trafford in 2014, the Glazer family team has won only one FA Cup (2014), the Little Treble of 2016 (with Mourinho: Community Shield , League Cup and Europa League), plus the Champions League quarter-finals in 2018-19 and last season's Europa League semi-finals. The amount paid by the sponsor was very high - the second in Europe, less than only 80 million Fly Emirates for Real Madrid - and so, given the absence of technical improvements, the American company abandoned.
Another team that could change (most likely) its partner on the shirt is Roma, which after signing with New Balance to replace Nike, with the new American ownership of Dan Friedkin there will be a re-discussion of the contract with Qatar Airways. By the way, as Calcio e Finanza specifies, it would be the same sponsor that would not want to renew the partnership in the Capital with the current figures (40 million in three years). In its place, Hyundai could arrive, which in Serie A, in the past, had already sponsored Torino. Barcelona's contract with Rakuten, expiring in 2021 but renewed until 2022, was also at risk, while Real Madrid would be working on a sensational contract with Arab sponsor Qiddiya for the women's division.