<p>In a story that reads like the script of a Hollywood film, one of the world’s most famous musicians, Canadian rapper Drake, emerged as the unlikely hero for an Italian club on the brink of financial collapse. </p>



<p>Venezia, a club steeped in history but battling financial turmoil, found an unexpected lifeline in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/barcelona-to-wear-drake-ovo-logo-on-shirt-in-el-clasico-20221014-WST-404464.html">Drake</a>. His intervention was crucial in saving the club from bankruptcy and ensuring its survival.</p>



<p>The Winged Lions, based in the iconic city of Venice, experienced a rollercoaster ride in recent years. </p>



<p>The club’s return to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/where-to-watch-serie-a-on-us-tv-and-internet/">Serie A</a> for the 2021-22 season, after a 20-year absence, was supposed to mark the beginning of a new era. </p>



<p>However, the realities of top-flight quickly caught up with them. In a desperate bid to avoid relegation, the club spent heavily on transfers, accumulating around $22 million in fees. </p>



<p>Despite their efforts, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/usmnt-duo-tessmann-and-mckennie-to-join-forces-next-season/">Venezia</a> were relegated back to Serie B by the spring of 2022. </p>



<p>The financial strain of trying to stay in Serie A left the club in dire straits, with debts piling up and the prospect of bankruptcy looming large.</p>



<p>They languished in Serie B for two more seasons, struggling both on and off the pitch. By the end of the 2022-23 season, the club’s financial situation had reached a critical point. </p>



<p>Venezia needed an immediate injection of $11 million to keep the club afloat, with an additional $33 million required to ensure its long-term survival. Without these funds, the club faced the very real possibility of declaring bankruptcy. Thus, they would have dropped further down the Italian soccer pyramid.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="445" height="405" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240811_WST_522097_image-19_cf65a0d7.webp&amp;width=445&amp;height=405" alt="" class="wp-image-522107" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/image-19.png 445w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/image-19-300x273.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px"></figure><figcaption>Drake has helped prevent Venezia going into bankruptcy.</figcaption></figure>



<h2>Venezia’s call for help to Drake</h2>



<p>In the midst of this crisis, an unlikely savior appeared. Brad Katsuyama, a Canadian businessman and co-owner of Venezia, reached out to Matte Babel, Drake’s chief brand officer and a close friend, for help. Babel, speaking to <a href="https://www.gqitalia.it/article/drake-venezia-calcio" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GQ Italia</a>, recounted the moment he received the urgent call. “I got a call from Brad, co-owner of Venezia and a good friend of mine. </p>



<p>He explained the problem to me in a simple way. Venezia has to raise $11m in a couple of weeks, and then at least $33m in a few months, or the club will go bankrupt.”</p>



<p>Understanding the gravity of the situation, Babel wasted no time. He approached Drake, a noted sports enthusiast and global ambassador for the Toronto Raptors, with the proposition. “Venezia is an incredible city, and Venezia has always been a special club,” Babel explained. “I spoke to Drake, then Brad and I discussed the details of how we could help. Within two weeks, we had a deal, and raised the money needed to pay salaries and avoid bankruptcy.”</p>



<p>Drake’s financial contribution was nothing short of a lifeline for Venezia. The funds raised by the rapper and his team allowed the club to meet immediate financial obligations, including player salaries, and stave off the threat of bankruptcy. This crucial intervention not only saved the club but also provided the stability needed to focus on their on-field performance.</p>



<p>With their financial woes temporarily eased, Venezia went on to have a successful 2023-24 season in Serie B, finishing third and securing promotion back to Serie A through the playoffs. The Winged Lions, as the club is known, had completed a remarkable turnaround, thanks in no small part to the support of Drake.</p>



<h2>Lasting partnership beyond financial aid</h2>



<p>Drake’s involvement with Venezia did not stop at providing financial support. The collaboration extended to a more creative venture as well. The club struck an apparel partnership deal with Drake’s Nike imprint, NOCTA, to produce their kits. This partnership not only brought a fresh and stylish look to Venezia’s uniforms but also added a touch of global appeal, aligning the club with one of the most influential figures in contemporary culture.</p>



<p>Additionally, the city of Venice made a substantial investment of $344 million into building a new stadium and an indoor arena with state-of-the-art facilities, which is expected to open by the 2027 season. This development, coupled with Drake’s involvement, signals a new chapter for Venezia, one that promises growth and stability.</p>



<p>Photo credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire</p>

Canadian-owned Venezia averted insolvency, all thanks to Drake

In a story that reads like the script of a Hollywood film, Drake emerged as the unlikely hero for Venezia on the brink of financial collapse.

Canadian-owned Venezia averted insolvency, all thanks to Drake - World Soccer Talk


<p><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barcelona </a>announced a special shirt featuring the logo for OVO, the Drake brand, against Real Madrid on Sunday. The move is to celebrate the rapper/singer becoming the first artist to surpass 50 billion streams on Spotify.</p>



<p>The streaming service previously entered a <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/03/15/barcelona-agree-sponsorship-deal-with-spotify/">partnership with Barca</a> earlier in the year. Beginning for the current campaign and running for four seasons, the LaLiga club will typically wear jerseys with a Spotify logo across the chest. The deal with the streaming service brings Barca a reported $77 million per year.</p>



<p>“Our alliance with Spotify goes beyond a mere commercial relationship, said Juli Guiu, Barca’s marketing vice president. As we have stated on numerous occasions, it is a strategic relationship through which we seek to bring together two worlds that can arouse emotion, namely music and football.”</p>



<p>“For the first time in our history, we are replacing the name of our main partner on the front of the jersey with an internationally acclaimed artist in Drake, winner of 4 Grammy awards and record breaker in different categories, such as being the first artist to accumulate 50 billion streams on Spotify.”</p>



<h2>Barcelona to don shirt with Drake logo</h2>



<p>“This initiative shows our potential to become a unique platform to offer experiences that help bring us closer to our fans while reaching out to new audiences around the world.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Not only is <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/Drake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Drake</a> the first artist to hit 50 billion <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/Spotify?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Spotify</a> streams, but now he’ll also be the first artist to appear on the <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/FCBarcelona?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBarcelona</a> jersey during this weekend’s El Clásico match ❤️🦉💙 <a href="https:\/\/t.co/WLqMLsCSxr">pic.twitter.com/WLqMLsCSxr</a></p>— Spotify News (@SpotifyNews) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/SpotifyNews/status/1580793297781641216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>Along with displaying the OVO logo on their jerseys for the big game, Barca is also creating unique pregame shirts as well. All players will wear jerseys with the number 50 on the back and ‘DRAKE’ as the nameplate.</p>



<p>Barca versus Real Madrid is one of the biggest matchups in the sporting world. This weekend’s game is even more special as it is the 250th meeting between the two historic clubs. Barca and Real are also currently level on points atop the LaLiga table.</p>



<p>The latest version of <em>El Clásico</em> will kick off in Madrid at 10:15 a.m. ET on <a href="https:\/\/go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESPN+</a>.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: @fcbarcelona / Twitter</em></p>


The famous red and blue shirt of Barcelona will have a touch of Drake, the Canadian rapper, during the club's meeting with Real Madrid.

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Canadian-owned Venezia averted insolvency, all thanks to Drake

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Barcelona to wear Drake 'OVO' logo on shirt in El Clásico