Football nowadays is awash with sponsorship money, which oils the wheels of the modern game.
Whether via perimeter advertising, shirt sponsorship, training apparel sponsorship or even something obscure such as being the official drinks brand of a particular club, companies appear to be queueing up to be associated with various football clubs.
Many deals arguably pass through unnoticed by a club’s supporters, and each and every deal is another revenue stream for clubs desperate to be one step ahead.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, the north Londoners find themselves in the headlines after signing a three-year deal with beer brand, Ganzberg, whose street advertisements show dog meat as the perfect accompaniment to their drink in Cambodia, according to The Independent.
The association has seen animal welfare charity, Four Paws, up in arms.
“We have raised our concerns with the club, and while they share our disgust at the trade, they have not cut ties with the brand, which is widely accepted as the best accompaniment to dog meat,” a spokeswoman said, cited by The Independent.
Given that the Gunners will have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, as have all clubs, it’s likely they’ll find it hard to sever ties with Ganzberg.
However, can they really afford such negative publicity?