The two sides first met last month to discuss the sponsorship, which THY expects will make a tremendous impact on the company’s global recognition. In this first meeting, Barcelona laid out their conditions for the deal, and THY agreed to these conditions last week.
Today’s Zaman has learnt that Lander Unzueta, chief commercial officer of the football club, arrived in İstanbul on Friday and discussed the technical details of the agreement with three managers from THY’s flight operations and marketing departments.
The Spanish club wanted THY to provide aircraft to carry the team to its Champions League away matches next season and for its commercial tours to Asia during 2010. Barcelona also guaranteed that THY will be promoted as the official carrier of the club. Barcelona’s logo will be affixed to the aircraft. In addition, the aircraft’s name will be changed to “Barcelona.”
Barcelona has four official sponsors, La Caixa Bank and Estrella Damm from the Catalan region and Nike and Audi from abroad. If THY accepts the conditions and signs the agreement, it will be Barcelona’s fifth main sponsor.
THY will organize the first aircraft for the Catalan team for its matches in the FIFA World Club Championship tournament in Abu Dhabi scheduled for Dec. 13. If the parties fail to reach agreement by this date, Barcelona will have to hire a plane from THY.
The tournament carries a great significance for the Barcelona. The Spanish team’s squad won every competition it entered last year: the championship in Spanish premier league La Liga, the King’s Cup, the Spanish Super Cup, the Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup. The club wants to break the world record by winning the World Club Championship and claiming its sixth cup in a season.
Benzer Haberler 
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