Tweet Links Allianz Life To Minnesota United Stadium Naming Rights

Minnesota United’s plans to "announce its naming rights partner for its new soccer-specific stadium got an unexpected surprise” yesterday when insurance company Allianz Life posted a message on Twitter. The company’s tweet read, “Soccer fans? You betcha! Allianz Field is the new home of Minnesota United FC soccer! #MNFUC.'" The post was “followed by a link that took Twitter users to a video tour of the planned new stadium on the team’s website.” Allianz's post was “deleted minutes later.” The MLS club is “planning a news conference” for 8:30am CT today. The Munich-based Allianz is “no stranger to sports stadiums outside” the U.S., as it is “affiliated with six of them” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/25). 

Allianz was close to a naming-rights deal on what is now MetLife Stadium in '08, but a deal fell through after press scrutiny and public outcry over the company's ties to the Holocaust (THE DAILY).