Emirates pursues sponsorship deal with Chelsea FC

Emirates airline is apparently on the verge of breaking through with a sponsorship deal with English soccer giants Chelsea Football Club Gulf News learnt through reliable sources yesterday.

The deal, if it comes through, will see Chelsea landing the second biggest shirt sponsorship deal in football since English soccer giants Manchester United secured a £30 million agreement with Vodafone in February. Emirates Airlines sponsored the Australian cricket team which won the World Cup in England, in 1999.

While Chelsea are also negotiating with other prospective bidders, Emirates have more than a strong chance of pulling it off. It is alleged that the value of the deal may be worth £18 million over a period of three years and both the club and the Dubai based carrier are close to finalising an agreement.

An Emirates spokesman confirmed ongoing discussions with Chelsea saying, "Yes, we are having talks with Chelsea F.C.. We are interested, but nothing has been finalised as yet."

Choosing not to confirm the reported figure of £18 million the source stated, "The numbers mentioned are speculation. There are several conditions that are taken into account during negotiations therefore, it is better not to specify a figure."

The source, however, was confident that a decision on the deal, "Was expected by the end of January. There should be a decision either way irrespective of whether Emirates is going to get the contract or not."

Chelsea's current shirt deal is with Autoglass. The contract expires at the end of this season and is worth £1.2 million annually. Sources in Emirates stated that while £18 million was 'acceptable' for a period of four to five years, there is speculation that it may also be over a period of three years.

The sources said, "Negotiations are never done on realistic figures. They are done on the basis of offer and demand. The value of the deal will be linked to the club's current form both in England and in European competitions. If the club's success rate in Europe is high, then the value of the deal could go up or vice versa. Figures keep changing and nobody can gauge the real value of a sponsorship deal till it is signed."

Chelsea and Emirates already have a short term match-ball sponsorship agreement. It apparently covers such areas as signage, hospitality and marketing. There is further speculation that Emirates may contract the services of an international sports company which will fit in with their ambitions for the future. It is believed that Emirates were also keen on securing a sponsorship agreement with British soccer giants Manchester United. Chelsea officials could not be reached for comment as the club offices were closed due to Christmas festivities.

Values of sponsorship deals have gone through the roof ever since Manchester United, the world's richest club, inked a contract with Vodafone. The mobile phone company saw off intense competition from the likes of Yahoo, Amazon.com and Microsoft to have their logo emblazoned on the famous United red jersies.

The shirt deal with Emirates, if it goes through, will put Chelsea just behind United but ahead of London rivals Arsenal who, only in April 1999 signed a three-year deal with computer games brand Dreamcast. The Arsenal deal is worth £10 million.

Should Emirates' deal with Chelsea come through it will only succeed in raising the ante in the football sponsorship stakes. It will also confirm Dubai's status as a heavyweight player in the world of professional sport.