FOOTBALL JERSEYS DEAL

Football Inc.

The prices are not too far apart from the market price but at least you have more choices.

OK folks, is it only me or do you guys also think the new ad in front of Milan's jersey, bwin is extremely ugly? I thought I will never buy Real Madrid's BENQ Siemens but this is even worse! I heard Barcelona will have their first ever ad on the jersey soon in the form of UNICEF. Remember they almost got the Beijing 2008 Olympics ad but it failed to materialize in the last minute?

Here is the article taken from Goal.com written on 8 September 2006.

Barça Sign Historic Deal With Unicef

FC Barcelona have signed a ground-breaking agreement with Unicef at the United Nations headquarters in New York and will carry the organisation's logo on their team shirts.

Barça president Joan Laporta attended the presentation in the United States as the club signed a partnership with the world children's charity.

The deal will see the Catalan club donate 0.7 per cent of their annual income, working out at approximately €2 million, to help support the UN's Millennium Development Goals campaign and Unicef activities.

With the emphasis placed firmly on Barça's motto of 'mès que un club' (more than a club) the team shirt will carry the Unicef logo in the Champions League encounter against Levski Sofia, the first time that any name has appeared on the famous Blaugrana strip.

The first benificiaries of the agreement will be children who are suffering from the AIDS virus in Swaziland, with money aimed at prevention of the disease, the spread of it and to give help to children that have lost their parents to it.

In his speech at the UN, Laporta said: "We believe we have a very powerful tool: soccer. We know that if this tool is put to a good use, we can really make a difference.
"This is why we have decided to work with UNICEF, an institution that shares our values and our vision. We want Barça to contribute to global UNICEF programs for the benefit of children in suffering."

Coach Frank Rijkaard fully supports the move that sees the club break its' 107-tradition of not carrying a logo, but he is proud that it is not the name of a company or conglomorate.

"It is an act of generosity" he said. "Something never seen before in the football world and let it be an example to other companies. I love it, it is something historic, and the board should be congratulated".



Links:
UNICEF 01
UNICEF 02 (This has a video attachment with HIGH & LOW quality to view)

I am really proud of Barcelona for what they did. They earn all my respect. It is time I switch clubs! Haha! Even the UNICEF logo looks nice! They are truly the good example of the ever commercialized and money centered football world.