The Barcelona Football Club has broken with tradition in a significant way in the last week. Never in its storied history has the club carried the emblem of a corporate sponsor as the frontispiece of its shirt. Barça has stood almost completely alone in this (Atletico Madrid is the only other hold out in Spain); every other major European club—in fact, just about every club you care to think of—has carried a major sponsor on its shirt. Try to imagine, for instance, Essendon without the ubiquitous "3" symbol, or the Rabbitohs without the "TV Week" logo, or for that matter the great Milan sides of the 90s without the "Opel" emblem on the front of their shirt.
Barça has joined the ranks of those who advertise, but not in the way one might expect. In keeping with its tradition of being "more than a club, Barça has unveiled a sponsorship deal with a difference—and it has raised eyebrows and garnered further plaudits for a club which is already well loved and respected the world over.
Barça has come to an agreement with UNICEF, the UN agency founded in 1946 in response to the needs of children all over Europe following the end of World War II. UNICEF has worked in 157 countries worldwide since its formation, helping children who are living in poverty to survive, providing vaccines, and helping to provide access to such essentials as drinking water and food.
In return for carrying a major sponsor’s logo for the first time in 107 years, you might ask how much Barcelona is being paid. The answer is not one cent. In fact, Barcelona has also agreed to pay UNICEF around $2.5 million dollars a year for the privilege. As Barça president Joan Laporta said when addressing the UN in New York recently, “FC Barcelona is not only a football club, but a club with a soul.”
The deal is staggering, for a number of reasons. This must surely be the first time that a club has paid someone to have their logo on their shirt. In mid-2005, rumours were swirling about with claim and counter-claim being made that the club might break with tradition and allow a sponsor. The Barça members were known to be opposed. The actual premium a first sponsor might have had to pay would have been significant. It is now a moot point. But for some