Liga : FC Barcelona will soon part with the sponsorship of « Nike » in favor of another well-known brand
FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta is ready to terminate the sponsorship agreement with Nike in favor of accepting an offer from Puma. The American sportswear brand has been synonymous with Barcelona over the past two decades, but the Blaugrana are seeking a better deal. For several months, there have been reports that FC Barcelona is not satisfied with Nike, and it has recently seemed that Puma was interested in becoming the sponsor of their team.
According to Sport, this is Laporta’s intention. While Nike has increased its offer compared to the current agreement, Puma has in turn raised its proposal. Recent reports have claimed that Puma was prepared to offer FC Barcelona a contract with higher remuneration, but also penalties in case of underperformance.
The German brand is ready to pay a signing bonus of 100 million euros, which would immediately inject liquidity and cover the 40 to 50 million euros needed to terminate the contract with Nike, which currently runs until 2028.
Furthermore, Nike’s ties with Laporta’s rival, Sandro Rosell, who was previously vice president of Nike Brazil, have worked against the American sportswear manufacturer. Puma has sold the idea that Barcelona would be the jewel in its growth plan to dominate the sportswear market.
Other members of the board preferred to stick with Nike for distribution channels, some preferred to partner with a smaller brand and take a larger share, while others did not want to risk being without a sponsor for some time if the contract was terminated.
The difficult financial situation of the Blaugrana, as well as Laporta, prompts them to seek all possible sources of revenue, and it would not be surprising if they end up accepting a deal that provides an advance on the contract to give them more short-term liquidity. There is already talk this summer of one, or even two, major sales within the squad.
