August 7 – Spanish giants Atletico Madrid are poised to sign a five-year sponsorship deal with Riyadh Air ahead of their La Liga opener next Monday.
The deal will see the Riyadh Air branding feature on the front of the club’s home and away kits and begins from the 2023/24 season.
Atletico’s previous deal with crypto platform WhaleFin fell through after they cancelled their €42 million per season deal less than a year after signing. The cancellation was due to the concern over payment of the remainder of their five-year contract. WhaleFin had cancelled their shirt-sleeve sponsor deal with Chelsea due to financial complications, which raised eyebrows inside the Spanish capital.
Riyadh Air, are set to set to offer significantly more than their predecessors in order to lock down a place on the front of the Colchoneros’ shirt. Atletico’s newest sponsors are owned by the Saudi Arabian public investment fund.
With the deal yet to be announced by either club or sponsor, the Riyadh Air Twitter (now known as X) account released a video teasing the upcoming partnership titled ‘A new name enters the beautiful game. The Future Takes Flight’.
Atletico Madrid have also switched the branding on their training shirts this week to the slogan ‘To the World’. This is recognised to represent the incoming partnership, forming part of Riyadh Air’s tagline ‘From Riyadh to the World’.
The club are currently selling replica shirts without a front sponsor, despite playing with WhaleFin sponsors throughout their pre-season tour in the US and Mexico. This is set to change as soon as the deal is finalised, which is expected to be prior to Atletico Madrid’s La Liga opener versus Granada at the Wanda Metropolitano on the August 14.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1714761690labto1714761690ofdlr1714761690owedi1714761690sni@o1714761690fni1714761690