Hankook said it “intends” to continue its long-standing partnership with the UEFA Europa League, “in the years to come”. The comments, made as part of a press release signalling the company’s charitable activities in connection with the Europa League final, suggest Hankook wants to continue its support of purportedly the world’s biggest competition in club football for the foreseeable future.
Hankook – as part of its long-standing partnership with UEFA and this year’s UEFA Europa League Final in Gdańsk, Poland – enabled children selected by two non-profits to attend the final. Both chosen non-profit organisations are involved in football-related activities for children. Amp Futbol Polska supports children with amputations and physical disabilities who want to play football, while Fair Play Program aims to empower girls and women in football in Poland. Not only were the children able to watch the final between Villareal CF and Manchester United live, but they also received exclusive backpacks made from the original centre circle banner tarpaulin, filled with goodies to enjoy after the game. They were also allowed to take photos with Polish goalkeeping legend Jerzy Dudek, and the original UEFA Europa League Trophy before the match.
Nexen Tire has congratulated long-term partner Manchester City Football Club for its “phenomenal victory” in the 2020/21 Premier League season. Travis Kang, the tyre maker’s chief executive officer, comments that while the past year has been “a whirlwind,” Manchester City’s latest win has “certainly brought joy” to both Nexen and the team’s fans.
Continental Tyres has signed a significant sports sponsorship agreement in Australia, and for the 2021 season becomes a Major Partner of the Australian Football League (AFL). This deal with the pre-eminent Australian rules football association also sees Continental become exclusive naming rights partner of the AFL Trade Period and official sponsor of the AFL Runners, the messengers who exchange information between the coach and players on the field.
For the past 26 years, Pirelli branding has adorned and sometimes even enhanced the shirts worn by Inter Milan players. But the Italian tyre maker confirmed at the start of the month that it will no longer serve as kit sponsor. According to numerous media sources, porn company Stripchat is a potential successor to Pirelli.
Continental Tyres and The FA will this week celebrate the decade milestone of continued support for Women’s Football in England, with the tenth consecutive FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup Final. Continental first signed as a founding partner of the Women’s Super League with the inaugural competition in 2011.
Manchester City F.C. and Nexen Tire have announced a new virtual fitness challenge, Nexen Road to Man City. This free virtual race officially begins on 22 April 2021 and encourages participants of any age or fitness level to exercise and adopt a healthier lifestyle by getting outside and being active over a 45-day period.
One of the biggest football clubs in the Czech Republic, SK Dynamo České Budějovice, has named Tomket Tires as its back of shirt partner. The latest investment comes shortly after Tomket Tires announced its partnership with another leading Czech team, FC Zbrojovka Brno. The two Czech football sponsorship moves see Tomket Tires return to the company’s historic roots by sponsoring teams at the forefront of Czech football in the same manner as it does other teams in the top five leagues in global football.
FC Zbrojovka have welcomed Czech-based brand Tomket Tires as a sleeve sponsor. To support its development, Tomket have invested in a portfolio of sponsorships within motorsport and premium football clubs including being the official partner of Glasgow Rangers, ACF Fiorentina, VFB Stuttgart and a media partner at four English Premier League clubs.
Tomket Tires announced it became an official partner to VfB Stuttgart on 7 January 2021. The latest announcement follows a series of high-profile football sponsorship deals. Tomket is already associated with Rangers, Fiorentina, several Spanish La Liga clubs and four English Premier League teams in varying levels of partnership. Tomket has also invested in motorsport sponsorship.
India’s Ceat Limited is no newcomer to football, having sponsored Italian Serie A club Torino FC since 2018. Nor is the strategic partner to the Indian Premier League cricket cricket series a stranger to sports sponsorship within its homeland. But the tyre maker hasn’t engaged in football in India – until now. Ceat has signed on as the official tyre partner of Jamshedpur FC for the Indian Super League 2020-21.
BKT’s title sponsorship of French football has increased its brand awareness according to new data compiled for the off-highway tyre specialist. The CSA Research panel found that brand awareness has reached 17 per cent among football fans following two years title sponsorship of the Coupe de la Ligue BKT.
Continuing its long association with Manchester United, Apollo Tyres recently extended ‘Official Global Tyre Partner’ status with a parallel association with the company’s Vredestein tyre brand. The move is part of a wider growth strategy for the Vredestein brand across the Europe and North American markets.
One of the longest running top-tier football shirt sponsorships will come to an end in 2021. Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera confirmed reports published earlier in 2021 in Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport that Inter Milan’s shirt will not display the Pirelli logo for the first time since the 1995/96 season. However, he told Italian radio station GR Parlamento that “Inter and Pirelli will continue in some way” in the wake of the team’s season opening 4-3 victory over Fiorentina.
Hankook
Inter Milan
Nexen Tire
Dynamo; Tomket Tires
FC Zbrojovka Brno; Tomket Tires
VfB Stuttgart; Tomket Tires
Apollo Tyres; Vredestein