Of the 20 teams in the English Premier League, only Chelsea FC does not have any branding on the front of our jerseys. We’ve actually not had a main shirt sponsor for the past two seasons; the Infinite Athlete deal was only for a couple of weeks. Our last long-term shirt partnership was the £40 million-per-year deal with telecommunications giant Three that took us from 2021 to 2023. Before that was the five-year partnership with Yokohama Tyres. Why would the Blues’ shirts stay logoless for so long, bearing in mind the missed economic opportunities this plain look represents? There are a few possible reasons.
Association with possible champions
One is our failure to qualify for UEFA Champions League football for two successive seasons. This may have turned off the caliber of sponsorship the Chelsea hierarchy may feel is an ideal fit for its stature and ambitions. The Manchester United-Qualcomm deal, signed just this summer puts paid to this theory- the Red Devils finished below us in eighth last season. And that sponsorship is more lucrative than our deal with Three was.
Another reason is the aspirations of the Blues leadership. Indeed, the club is said to have received a few offers in the off-season, but the Chelsea bigwigs thought it wise to hold out for better. And this could have been a good gamble in hindsight. Chelsea’s current form will certainly make a branding partnership a more attractive prospect for corporates. We’re also odds-on to qualify for next season’s Champions League and are among the favorites to win the UEFA Conference League. Much as head coach Enzo Maresca doesn’t want to hear about his team’schances of clinching the Premier League title, potential sponsors will be drooling at the possibility of being associated with champions.
Possible suitors
There were rumors a few months ago that Qatar Airways, currently Paris Saint-Germain’s, and formerly Barcelona’s official kit sponsor, were sniffing around. Two other airlines are said to also be interested in branding our shirts but so far nothing has been announced. One wonders which airlines these could be as two of the bigger ones are already sponsoring Arsenal and Manchester City. Besides the three air carriers, two leading tech firms appear keen on partnering with the Blues. Depending on how we finish our strong start to the season, Chelsea could be in for a record sponsorship agreement. The lucky suitor may not even wait for the season to end.