Photo courtesy of UEFA.com
If recent reports emanating from the media are to believed, Liverpool are in advanced talks with Qatari telecommunications firm Ooredoo over a potential sponsorship deal to sponsor not only the kits, but the stadium as well.
Now, many on Merseyside would consider the renaming of the hallowed ground that is Anfield as tantamount to blasphemy, and they wouldn’t be far wrong in all honesty when you consider the past glories that have been attributed to Liverpool’s magical stadium.
However, it’s important not to stand in the way of progress, and a major sponsorship deal worth a reported $30 million per year is certainly something that has to be considered by the Anfield hierarchy.
This offer could be a huge deal for Liverpool in terms of potential growth and as an Ooredoo spokesman recently stated, “it is a dual interest, Liverpool needs the money to compete with the European heavyweights and we want to expand our brand to reach new markets via football.”
They are quite correct, Liverpool do need the influx of cash in order to compete, and this could be just be just the shot in the arm that the club needs to propel themselves back into the Champions League and onto the World stage.
One issue that will need to be addressed is that of Standard Chartered‘s current sponsorship deal that is due to expire in 18 months. The deal, penned in 2010, is currently the largest shirt sponsorship deal in the Premier League at $25 million per year, yet the Ooredoo offer dwarfs this by $5 million.
I’m no commercial expert, but it seems to me rather than supplanting one large sponsor for another, it would make more sense to run them concurrently together in order to ensure maximum revenue out of both firms.
Whether the two deals can run parallel to each other is beyond my understanding and the renaming of Anfield is sure to go down about as well with the fans as a lead balloon, but it’s important to realize that in order to compete, certain concessions need to be made.
The Ooredoo Arena doesn’t sound as magnificent or as memorable as Anfield but if it means the coffers are overflowing with funds to spend, then far be it from me to stand in the way of progress.
James Hilton is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter , Facebook or add him to your network on Google
