Wanted! Sponsors to back World Cup
The sponsorship backdrop board for the 2018 World Cup lays bare the crisis facing FIFA in finding new backers and the remarkable lack of support from Russian business.
The FIFA sponsorship model in the wake of the 2015 corruption meltdown was to attract 34 backers. They wanted seven global partners, seven World Cup partners and 20 endorsements from the local market.
But FIFA’s continued tarnished reputation has seen 22 slots still left empty — three from the second-tier World Cup sponsorships and an astonishing 19 gaps at regional supporter level.
The only sponsor from Russia at this level is Alfa Bank, with Zurich having to add two FIFA logos to the backdrop list to make the dearth of Russian sponsors less conspicuous.
FIFA could offer no explanation why the host country had failed to attract sponsors for their own World Cup. even a TV rights deal for the Russian market has yet to be negotiated.
The sponsorship drought has seen no new FIFA backers from europe or the US since 2011. It means that FIFA, who declared a loss of £289million in 2016, will post another considerable loss this year.
But FIFA, who do very well in a World Cup year, are confident they can recoup all their losses in 2018 — with TV rights elsewhere having been profitable. England coach Gareth Southgate, asked yesterday about keeping a poker face at the World Cup draw, said: ‘We’ll leave any of those gestures to the chairman.’ And FA supremo Greg Clarke won’t escape the TV cameras even if the host broadcast coverage for some reason doesn’t film his reaction to england’s opponents. The BBC are allowed one extra camera in the draw hall and that will be trained on Clarke.
l THE RFU financial report for the year ending June 2017 shines a light on the Twickenham gravy train for their top executive staff. No wonder former chief executive Ian Ritchie can afford to retire, having had a package of £710,000 in his last year. Former commercial director Sophie Goldschmidt was paid £480,000 for only six months and is now sunning herself in California as CEO of the world surf league.