UEFA has extended and expanded its partnership with Russian energy company Gazprom for another three years in a deal which includes the UEFA Champions League and a partnership around the National team competitions of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
The company has been a partner on the premier club competition since 2012.
Gazprom’s renewed three-year agreement as a UEFA club competitions partner will also include sponsorship rights for the UEFA Super Cup, the UEFA Champions League futsal finals and the UEFA Youth League finals from 2021 until 2024.
“Gazprom has proved over the years to be one of our most trusted partners and we are delighted to be welcoming them as a UEFA National Team Football sponsor for the first time, while we are equally thrilled they will continue their partnership with the world’s greatest club competition – the UEFA Champions League, for another three years,” said UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein.
“Not only is Gazprom a leader in its field, but it also has a long heritage in football and were are looking forward to working even closer together over the coming years, such as through Gazprom’s Football for Friendship programme, which helps give youngsters valuable life skills.”
That programme was established by Gazprom in 2013 and serves to promote key values of peace, friendship, equality, health, victory, traditions, devotion, fairness, and honour for youngsters.
Gazprom will hold a number of dedicated activities in the lead-up to and during the UEFA Champions League final and UEFA EURO 2020.
The specially created Football for Friendship International News Bureau will provide aspiring journalists aged 12 to 14 with the possibility to report on the tournament from their native countries.
Youngsters from over 200 countries will take part in the 2021 Football for Friendship eWorld Championship, with the finals be broadcasted on the day of the UEFA Champions League final on 29 May.
The programme has brought over 15,000 participants from 211 countries and regions together and has received over 60 awards in the field of social responsibility, sports, and communications, including two Guinness World Records for the most nationalities in a football training session on the planet and the most users on a football video hangout in the world.
As part of the build-up to the UEFA EURO 2020 Championships next month, Saint Petersburg, where Gazprom’s headquarters is based, will have the honour of hosting the latest leg of the UEFA EURO 2020 trophy tour from 21-22 May. Saint Petersburg will host seven matches over the course of this summer’s tournament.
As part of the UEFA National Team sponsorship agreement, Gazprom will provide a prize for the best goal scored at UEFA EURO 2020. The player will receive the first ever NFT (non-fungible token) trophy for the goal of the tournament – which has been created by a famous Russian artist.
The tournament’s name, the key values of the Football for Friendship programme, and the name of the trophy winner will be coded into the trophy.
UEFA is one of more than 250+ members of the Sport for Business network of sporting and business organisations working together across a number of key areas.
Sport for Business Partners
