Barcelona President Josep María Bartomeu announced that the club has two offers for the principal sponsorship of its shirt, according to the EFE. The agreement with current principal sponsor Qatar Airways expires in June '16, and the club has to renew that deal or "choose a new sponsor soon." Bartomeu said, "In October we will present or try to achieve a principal agreement. We are talking with two businesses, it is a job of the marketing department. We have time left to have a commercial agreement." Barcelona is expected to decide on the matter at a meeting scheduled for Oct. 24 or 25.
LASSA DEAL PRESENTED: Bartomeu was speaking at a press conference presenting the club's agreement with Lassa Tyres, which was announced in June. The financial terms of the four-year deal were not disclosed, as the club "appealed to a confidentiality clause in not revealing the figures." Bartomeu pointed out that Barcelona has a "great market in Turkey." The club first reached an agreement with Turkish appliance manufacturer Beko in July '14 (EFE, 9/14).
'UNFAIR, EXCESSIVE AND EXAGGERATED': AS reported Bartomeu said of the FIFA sanctions Barcelona is facing, "The FIFA topic, we have said it many times, is so, so, so, so unfair, excessive and exaggerated. ... Now the situation is incomprehensible" (AS, 9/14). The club on Monday named Francesco Calvo its new commercial director. Calvo previously served as sales manager for Serie A club Juventus. He will join the club on Oct. 1. Also on Oct. 1, Arno Trabesinger will take over as manager of the club's U.S. office in N.Y. He previously worked as managing director for int'l agency WWP (Barcelona).
