Chelsea have abandoned talks with betting company Stake over becoming the club’s main shirt sponsor after realising that picking a gambling company might not be a great PR move.
We could have told them that a year ago, but the new ownership finally seems to have got the message. The whole affair is somewhat ironic given that one of the most promising features of the new ownership group was their top tier connections within American finance and media, which promised a major increase in potential sponsorship income.
The Blues’ current deal with Three has expired and won’t be renewed after disputes during the sanctions period of last year. According to Matt Law in the Telegraph, that deal was worth £40m a year, and the club will be looking to match that now.
It’s almost unheard of for a team of Chelsea’s commercial might to be little over a month away from the start of the season without a sponsor for their shirt, but here we are.
Rumours that Oman Air could be next to emblazon the front of the royal blue kit have been quashed, despite images of Mauricio Pochettino posing with a company representative earlier this week. The search continues.
When compared with the money spent on transfers and wages, the £40m we might get from a shirt sponsor start to feel fairly insignificant. Given that, let’s hope we pick one that’s at least aesthetically pleasing and not entirely morally bankrupt.
