New York: Spanish soccer club Barcelona is opening an office in New York, banking on the star power of Lionel Messi and Neymar to attract sponsors and propel annual revenue past $1 billion (Dh3.6 billion), team officials said.
Barca already has partnerships with American brands including Gatorade, Black & Decker, Gillette and Nike, which has been affiliated with the La Liga club for about 20 years, club President Josep Maria Bartomeu said on Tuesday. The club plans to increase annual revenue to $1.1 billion by 2021, a 46 per cent increase over the $753 million it makes now, said Francesco Calvo, the team’s chief revenue officer.
