Boca Juniors agree Qatar Airways shirt sponsor deal

Doha (AFP) – Boca Juniors agreed a five-year shirt sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways on Tuesday, to become the third major club currently with a commercial deal with the Gulf carrier.

The airline said in a statement it would be the club’s shirt sponsor from the beginning of next season through to the 2022-2023 campaign.

“We are very proud and grateful that one of the most prestigious airlines in the world has chosen Boca Juniors as part of their regional expansion strategy in South America,” said Boca Juniors President Daniel Angelici.

Qatar Airways boss Akbar Al-Baker, said the deal would help “enhance our sporting sponsorship portfolio with the world’s best teams”.

The renowned Buenos Aires club, currently the leaders of the Argentine Primera Division with just two games to play, join Italy’s Roma and Germany’s Bayern Munich in completing sponsorship deals with Qatar Airways.

A three-year shirt deal with Roma was announced just last month ahead of the Italian club’s unsuccessful bid to reach the Champions League final.

In February this year Qatar Airways announced a shirt sleeve sponsorship deal with the German champions, who, like Roma, were knocked out at the Champions League semi-final stage last week.

The deal is the latest sporting tie-up between South America and the gas-rich Gulf state which will host the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar has confirmed within the last few weeks that it has accepted an invitation to play in next year’s Copa America in Brazil.

That announcement came at the same time as CONMEBOL, the South American football federation, formally asked world governing body FIFA to expand the 2022 tournament from 32 to 48 teams.