Qatar Airways, Barcelona Reportedly Move Closer To Renewal Agreement

Barcelona and Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani "have taken many turns to arrive at the same place," according to Marcos Lamelas of EL CONFIDENCIAL. Despite the "pushing and pulling and Barcelona's posturing," sources close to the negotiations said that an agreement on a renewal of the club's sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways "appears to be more close than far." In Qatar, "they are awaiting a gesture." It "could be setting a date for a Barcelona friendly match in Qatar," which was agreed upon in the previous contract but has not been held. This "detail would allow the proud emir, who believes his trust has been betrayed, to once again put on the table the offer that Barcelona rejected:" €60M ($67.1M) per year through '20, including signage on the exterior of Barcelona's stadium, but not the team's training kit. Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu's desire is to get €65M ($72.7M) per year, not including sponsorship of the stadium exterior (EL CONFIDENCIAL, 2/8).