Sydney FC will have to pay A$50,000 to cover Allianz signage during Champions League matches. GETTY IMAGES
The Asian Football Confederation reportedly requested A-League side Sydney FC to "cover all signage" at its home stadium, including that of naming rights sponsor Allianz, for the Asian Champions League campaign, despite the company "being one of the primary sponsors of the tournament and the AFC," according to Dominic Bossi of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The club reportedly received "special dispensation" to turn off the lights that illuminate the large "Allianz Stadium" on Wednesday, but the club "could be forced to undergo the expensive process of covering the sign going forward." Previously, the AFC has been satisfied with the stadium's sponsor sign "merely being made less visible for night games," with the lights turned off, but is understood to have ramped up its "already strict approach to marketing and sponsorship." Sydney FC declined to comment, but sources suggested the club "could be forced to pay to cover the signage at the entrance for every other game." The process "requires engineers, expensive equipment and workers to access the roof of the stadium to cover the large sign," with the process costing about A$50,000 ($39,279) to temporarily erect and remove blank canvases over the signs. This is "on top of" the A$70,000 ($54,991) the club spends on covering all other non-sanctioned signage and advertising inside the stadium and around the precinct (SMH, 2/13).
