I remember I was looking at an article published by the journalist Javier Aznar in Líbero magazine, where he talked about the obsession he had for acquiring shirts from a very young age. There, he also explained his accounting did not include any other expense item than that, to feel how a new museum piece came into his hands, through a football shirt. Thank you Javier for the inspiration.
*The German team Eintracht Braunschweig became the first football team to wear a sponsored (Jägermeister) shirt in 1973.
Iconic football team sponsors
As the title says, we will be reviewing some of those relationships between teams and sponsors, where we cannot avoid thinking about that group without the logo coming to our memory. A detail that we sometimes ignore, but where there really is a culture, something aesthetic, beautiful, that attracts us...
*First team in Spain to wear a sponsored shirt (Racing de Santander / Teka).
Real Zaragoza – Balay/Pikolin
We're obviously starting off with our home team. Yes, Fútbol Emotion is based in Zaragoza, in case you didn't know! Members and fans can debate with me between the legendary mattress company Pikolín and the manufacturer of household appliances, Balay; between the two of them they add up to the best years of ‘los maños’ not only in the elite of Spanish football, but also at a European level.
Parma – Parmalat
One of the great teams of Italian Calcio, a team that thanks to the Parmalat empire allowed them to sign world famous stars such as; Asprilla, Zola, Stoichkov, Crespo, Chiesa, Thuram, Cannavaro, Buffon (coming from the reserve team), Amoroso, Veron, Boghossian and many more made it possible to win, among many things, 8 titles in 11 years. His shirt is a true symbol of vintage football.
Liverpool FC – Carlsberg
Last year 2017 was the 25th anniversary of the union of this union, 25 years full of sensations, defeats and victories. Every self-respecting football fan will remember the Champions League final par excellence, the one in which AC Milan were leading 3-0 in the final of the 2004-2005 season and in which the Reds finally won the trophy, of course, with the legendary Carlsberg beer brand printed on their shirts.
Napoli – Buitoni
In 1984, the Italian club acquired the services of the then best footballer in history, Diego Armando Maradona. That same year, the history of the Neapolitan club began to change, as did its sponsor, as the Milanese pasta brand became the club's sponsor. This merger resulted in one of the most valuable jerseys for collectors and fans. With this kit, Napoli won a Scudetto and a Coppa, successes they would complete a few years later with another league title and a UEFA Cup.
Celta de Vigo – Citröen
Once again, a Spanish team appears on the list. After 31 seasons, in 2016 Citröen ceased to be the sponsor of Celta de Vigo, a union with a long history behind it. The French car company set up in Vigo in 1958, just a few metres from the Balaídos stadium. From day one, Celta's relationship with Citroën Hispania at the time was special, with workers finishing their shifts and crossing the street to watch their team.
AC Milan – Mediolanum
It may be that the German car company Opel is the sponsor that first comes to mind when we think of AC Milan, but on this occasion I want to go beyond that, to go retro, to go to the Milan where the 7 European Cups that are now in its trophy cabinets began to be built. That imposing Milan is thanks to one of its most legendary teams, the one that in Italy is still known as ‘Sacchi's invincibles’. Back then, Mediolanum was what you saw printed on those shirts in the 80s.
Real Madrid – Teka
Yes, I know, some of you may be thinking of Zanussi, Parmalat or even, if you like, Fly Emirates, with which Real Madrid have won 4 Champions League titles, quite a feat, but as you can see, there is an old flavour, something mystical about this sponsor, ‘a talismanic sponsor’, as the president of Real Madrid described the company, Florentino Pérez. In the 1990s, Real Madrid won 15 titles when Teka was the club's sponsor.
Manchester United – Sharp
Let's be clear: this is not a TOP 10 list. The teams are randomly placed, but if we're being honest, we have left our favourite association for last. We are talking about one of the longest and most legendary relationships in European football. One of the world's leading electronics companies, it rose to popularity, unsurprisingly, by sponsoring Manchester United F.C. from 1982 to 2000, which was a hugely successful period for the club. I remember fondly that it was the first shirt that was bought for me, on it you could read; ‘The Theatre of Dreams’, I was amazed with what it meant, I watched on VHS videos over and over again the elegance with which Erik Cantona celebrated his goals. For all these reasons I wanted to leave it in the last position.
We have left out many, many teams. Which one would you have added? Leave your answer in the comments or write us through our social network sites.
WEBSITE LINKS:
