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From the start of the 2017-18 season, FC Barcelona, will no longer wear Qatar Airways branded jerseys. the club has signed a new four-year partnership with Japanese eCommerce firm, Rakuten in a deal estimated at €220 million.
Founded in 1997, Rakuten are the largest eCommerce company in Japan, and started expanding outside their home country in 2005 and are eager to further expand their worldwide reach through one of La Liga’s biggest names.
“As FC Barcelona’s Main Global Partner, Rakuten is set to power our global brand strategy and, as FCB’s first-ever Global Innovation and Entertainment Partner, we are looking to bring the collective power of our brands like Viber, Wuaki, Ebates, Kobo, and PriceMinister to build an innovation framework that will deliver innovative solutions and services to fans, members and players,” said Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten, Inc.
Rakuten will replace Qatar Airways as the main sponsor of Barcelona, having taken on the role in 2013.
Qatar Airways was Barcelona’s sponsor from 2013 to 2016.
Up until 2011, the Catalan giants refused to have a corporate sponsor on their jerseys, having advertised global children’s charity UNICEF on their kits.
However, a €150m deal was signed with the Qatar Foundation at the start of the 2011-12 season to change this approach, with Qatar Airways replacing them in 2013, before Rakuten will follow suit in 2017.