Emirates to sponsor AC Milan shirts
Reuters - Monday 08 February 2010, 19:47
MILAN - Dubai government-owned Emirates
airline is to sponsor AC Milan from next season in a
four-year shirt deal worth around 50 million euros, a source close to the Italian club said on Monday.
The Arab world's largest airline, which also sponsors
Arsenal's stadium among other European football endorsements, will
replace Austrian online betting group bwin as Milan's
shirt sponsor from July 2010 until June 2014.
The deal, to be announced in Milan "in the next few days" in
the presence of the airline's chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed
Al-Maktoum, does not include the sale of a stake in the club as
some media outlets had previously reported.
However, the source added further possible investments in
the seven-times European champions, owned by Italian Prime
Minister Silvio Berlusconi, might be considered in due course
depending on the success of the commercial partnership.
"It's a friendship, it can become love or remain a
friendship," said the source who declined to be identified.
"What is certain is there is enthusiasm in Dubai for this deal."
Milan, third in Serie A after an inconsistent first half of
the season, have often been linked in the media with Arab
investors but Berlusconi has denied he wants to sell.