Olympique de Marseille target Emirates airlines as new shirt sponsors – Ligue 1 news
Olympique de Marseille have established contact with Emirates airlines for a possible deal with the Dubai-based company as the club’s next shirt sponsor.
Tough financial times at Stade Velodrome have forced Marseille to introduce an austerity policy early this summer. The Rhone club had to let go of some of their key players such as Gabriel Heinze and Taye Taiwo (AC Milan) in order to loosen the burden on
their payroll. Having a sponsor will certainly save the extra burden on Marseille’s tight budget.
The current sponsors are BetClick and their contract with the betting exchange ends in the summer of 2012. As a result, Marseille will have to look for a replacement before the end of this year.
According to French publication Le Parisien, a contract with the Emirates airline would result in an estimated amount of 6 million Euros per season. Although the UAE-based airline has not shown any excitement in signing a contract with Les Phoceens, the
management of Marseille are optimistic that they will be able to land a deal due to the ambitions of airline.
The French publication further reported that Emirates are looking to open an air route between Dubai and South of France with cities of Marseille and Toulouse being primary candidates. In an interview the director of Marseille-Provence Airport Brando Jean-Francois
was quoted saying “we are in contact on a quarterly basis with Emirates, we are lobbying for a Dubai-Marseille route.”
Les Phoceens will have the support of the local airport that would allow a strong argument in favour of the Rhone club while negotiating with Emirates.
If Olympique de Marseille are able to sign a contract with the airline, the French league will have two teams with the same sponsor on their shirts as PSG already have Emirates as their shirt sponsor.
The Rhone club are facing all kinds of problems, with financial crises making life difficult for the management and with the players not performing up to the expectations. Yet to register a win in Ligue 1 Marseille are 17th in Week 5 of the 2011/12
Ligue 1 standings.
Although Les Phoceens did manage to break the curse by beating Olympiacos in UEFA Champions League, Les Phoceens face a tougher challenge at home as they head to Stade Gerland to face Olympique Lyonnais.