Serie A side AS Roma "is poised to sign a main sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways," according to Jaroslaw Adamowski of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. Under the plan, the UAE-based airline will pay the Italian side about €14M ($16M) per year as the club's main sponsor, and a further €14M per annum "for the naming rights to its new stadium, Stadio della Roma." The planned sponsorship contract "is reportedly part of the company's expansion strategy in the Italian market." The Stadio della Roma "is being built on the grounds of Rome's former Hippodrome, in the southwest of the city." It will have a capacity of 52,500 seats, "which could be further expanded to 60,000" for larger int'l events (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 5/13). FOOTY HEADLINES reported Etihad Airways could become "the new AS Roma kit sponsor." AS Roma is still looking for a new kit sponsor for the '15-16 season and has "been playing with blank-chested shirts" since '13-14. The club could "settle for a lower amount for the shirt sponsorship in order to not remain sponsor-less" for the '15-16 season (FOOTY HEADLINES, 5/6).
