Manchester United announced the 3rd of June that it has reached a significant global partnership and principal sponsorship agreement with Aon Corporation, the world’s leading risk advisor and human capital consultant, to take effect from the start of the 2010-/11 season. Terms of the partnership were not announced.
Few weeks later, we’ve just received the news that Manchester United announced the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to the Real Madrid for 80 millions of £. That transfer will make Cristiano Ronaldo the most expensive player in history, much more important than Zinedine Zidane in 2001 with 77 millions of €.
The transfer will be finalised arount 30 of June.
As part of the sponsorship agreement, the Aon brand will feature on the world famous Manchester United shirt for four years.
Greg Case, president and chief executive officer of Aon, will host a media conference call today at 10:30am Chicago time/4:30pm Manchester time (BST), to discuss the partnership agreement. Dial-in information to access the call is as follows:
United States: (800) 288-8975
International: (612) 332-0636
Announcing the deal, Manchester United chief executive David Gill said, “We are delighted to be entering such an important relationship with a company of the stature of Aon and to have its logo adorn our shirts from the start of the 2010-11 season. We look forward to being closely aligned with the world leader in risk management, a firm which shares our values and is an exciting partner for Manchester United. Today’s announcement clearly strengthens our position as the world’s leading football club.”
“It is a unique opportunity when two leaders in their respective fields can come together in a partnership such as the one we are announcing today,” added Greg Case, president and chief executive officer of Aon. “Manchester United has one of the most recognized sports brands in the world. David and his team are all about winning and about excellence; the same holds true for the Aon team. We play to win in our business, and that is why we believe this partnership will create tremendous benefits for both organizations worldwide.
“While we are delighted that our brand will be showcased to the over 330 million fans of Manchester United as well as the countless followers of football worldwide, we also are extremely excited about the opportunity to maximize the value of this partnership globally.”
