AC Milan Introduces An Internal Anti-Racism Task Force

AC Milan will establish an internal task force, with the support of an external consultancy, to address the issue of racism in Italian football.

This newly-formed group will develop a programme of activities to increase awareness, monitor and address racist behaviour on social media and in the stadium, and drive the adoption of global best practices on diversity and inclusion.

Following several months of planning and internal discussion, the club has decided to accelerate the launch of the initiative after a number of high-profile events in recent weeks that have resulted in negative press both domestically and internationally.

The initiative will be launched at the club’s home match against FC Internazionale, in order to demonstrate solidarity with some of the most high-profile targets of the negative behaviour. The match will be positioned as the ‘Derby Against Racism’ and the players from both teams will join together for a photograph to mark the occasion before kick-off.

This move is consistent with the pioneering nature of the club, which has brought numerous footballing icons of diverse backgrounds to Serie A, including the first AC Milan black player to win the Ballon d’Or (Ruud Gullit, 1987) and its first African winner (George Weah, 1995).

Ivan Gazidis, CEO of AC Milan, stated: “Italian football needs to wake up and take a strong stance against racist behaviours. AC Milan will take a leadership position on this issue, promoting basic human values that are relevant to us all. Football provides a powerful example of the strength of unity and teamwork. Diversity, inclusion and tolerance enhance the strength of the team, the club and of society as a whole. We believe that we have a moral obligation to do everything we can to address this issue”.

Referring to the ‘Derby Against Racism’ initiative, Mr Gazidis added: “this first significant step aims to visibly demonstrate that we will be proactive in our efforts to tackle racism in football. These values transcend football rivalries and we are delighted to have the support of FC Inter for this initiative”.

Paolo Scaroni, AC Milan’s President, added his support, saying: “I am pleased that AC Milan is taking action to address one of the most important issues in our game and our society. This club has a powerful voice and I believe we can play an important role in the fight against racism”.

Borussia Dortmund Enters India With World1 Sports Partnership

German champions Borussia Dortmund have partnered Indian-based football consultancy firm World1 Sports to provide technical assistance for the latter’s grassroots program and development in India.

The two-year initiative will involve coaches from Dortmund training Indian coaches working in schools. It kicked off this week with officials from Dortmund visiting branches of the Velammal network of schools in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Borussia Dortmund’s managing director of the Asia-Pacific region Suresh Letchmanan said: “We are honoured to be here in India and to forge this relationship. We have always been keen believers in the development of youth football and are hoping we can guide and find a way to develop youth football in India. At the same time, we also want to use this opportunity to win more Black and Yellow hearts and at the same time build the BVB brand further into India.

“The objective is to see how we can further train kids and coaches in India in the BVB way, with no shortcuts. We hope we can eventually find players that could live their dreams to play in the local league here in India. That’s the first step and hopefully then take the bigger step of playing in Asia and in Europe in the possible future.”

Extreme E Names Veloce Racing As Latest Team Entry

n: Extreme E has announced that Veloce Racing will join the pioneering electric off-road racing championship, with Adrian Newey, Jean-Éric Vergne and four young motorsport entrepreneurs at the helm.

Veloce Racing, co-founded by the team behind its industry-leading sister organisation Veloce Esports, is the fourth Extreme E outfit to be revealed, joining Venturi, ABT and HWA as confirmed entries for Season 1, starting February 2021.

Veloce Racing’s management team includes Daniel Bailey, Rupert Svendsen-Cook, Jack Clarke and Harrison Newey – with each holding a key footing in the motorsport arena. Double Formula E champion and former Formula 1 driver Jean-Éric Vergne is the fifth co-founder of the organisation while Adrian Newey joins as ‘Lead Visionary’. Darryl Eales, former CEO of LDC and Andy Webb, former CEO of Marussia F1, co-chair the operation.

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E – said: “Veloce Racing has assembled a very impressive group of people, making it an incredibly exciting addition to Extreme E. It has the input of a true technical genius in Adrian Newey and the backing of a world-class driver in Jean-Éric, as well as a number of highly-driven young entrepreneurs.

“Extreme E’s unique sporting challenge and its scope for engineering innovation offer up a compelling opportunity. No doubt Veloce Racing will be going all out to disrupt some of the more established names on the Extreme E entry list when we get underway in February 2021.

“In every area of the sports industry we have seen established teams founding Esports equivalents but this is one of the first examples where an Esports company has bought into a traditional sports series. I believe it marks a radical move for the industry. I wish Veloce Racing the best of success and can’t wait to see how they rise to the challenge.”

Adrian Newey is one of motorsport’s foremost technical masterminds, counting an unmatched ten Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship victories to his name with a record three different squads, whilst six different drivers have steered Newey’s designs to drivers’ world titles.

A key factor in Veloce Racing’s entry is to support Extreme E’s goal of implementing positive legacy projects in each race location and not only raising awareness of the challenges faced but actively aiming to improve those environments. Additionally, Newey sees the championship’s drive for innovation and top-tier competition as synergies.

“We are delighted to be announcing the launch of Veloce Racing, as well as confirming our place as a fully-fledged licensee entrant into Extreme E,” said Newey.

“Everyone involved in Veloce Racing is extremely passionate about racing, competition and cutting-edge technology, as well as tackling environmental issues that face the world today, so we couldn’t be happier to be taking part in Extreme E.

“The series is an exceptional platform for developing new technology, drawing attention to the earth’s environmental challenges and driving change. Veloce will play an active role in as many of Extreme E’s legacy projects as possible to help regenerate the local environments. We now can’t wait to get started on our campaign.”

Jean-Éric Vergne, co-founder of Veloce Racing, added: “Today marks another great step for Veloce. I have always believed in the vision of Alejandro Agag and I strongly believe in the success of Extreme E.

“For me, it was clear I had to be involved since I first saw the concept. Together with my other co-founders, we have worked incredibly hard to make this happen. We plan to be disruptive in our approach as we drive awareness of climate change.”

Extreme E will race across remote environments severely damaged by human interference. Events will be staged over three days in head-to-head knockout format with track designers carefully selecting course options, which provide the most challenging, exciting racing action whilst crucially generating no negative impact from either environmental or social perspectives.

Greenland was announced as the series’ first confirmed location in late August and the Himalayas, Rainforest, Desert and Indian Ocean island arenas will be revealed in the coming weeks and months ahead of Season 1’s ‘lights-out’.

Last week, Extreme E revealed its Drivers’ Programme; a roster of world-class racers who have signalled their intent to compete in the series. Leading names including six-time FIA World Rally Championship title-winner Sebastian Ogier, FIA World Rallycross frontrunners Andreas Bakkerud and Kevin and Timmy Hansen, double DTM champion and FIA World Rallycross driver Timo Scheider, W Series winner Jamie Chadwick and more have signed up as members.

Leicester City Signs Monster Energy As Official Energy Drink Partner

 

Leicester City has signed Monster Energy to further enhance the matchday experience for supporters visiting King Power Stadium.

Monster Energy will be the Football Club’s energy drinks partner for the 2019/20 campaign, with branding visible throughout King Power Stadium on matchdays and for the entire 2019/20 Premier League season.

Harj Hir, Head of Partnerships at Leicester City, said: “We have a strong following internationally so to be able to welcome Monster Energy, a world-renowned brand, to the Club as our energy drink partner will help us build on our profile on a global basis.

“Last season Monster were an LED advertiser at King Power Stadium, and by demonstrating the reach of LCFC and the Premier League, we are delighted to further develop our relationship by partnering with them this year.”

Monster Energy’s SVP Marketing EMEA, Jon Tuck commented: “Beginning our partnership with Leicester City marks a truly exciting day for the Monster Energy brand and we’re already looking forward to bringing some genuine valued experiences for fans. We wish everyone connected with Leicester City great success for the season ahead.”

PGA Tour Signs Yeti As Official Insulated Cooler

The PGA Tour and Yeti have agreed a new partnership that makes YETI the “Official Insulated Cup” and “Official Insulated Cooler” of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions.

The multi-year agreement includes product licensing, as well as the exclusive right to sell YETI drinkware and coolers at TOUR-operated tournament retail outlets and TPC facilities, a number of which host TOUR events. Further, YETI plans to work with various PGA TOUR tournaments to display YETI coolers and utilize them in player practice areas. The PGA TOUR will also feature YETI drinkware at its Signature Drink programs at various PGA TOUR tournaments throughout the season.

“Over the past decade, YETI has established the standard for high-quality outdoor products with its hard and soft coolers and vacuum-insulated drinkware,” said Brian Oliver, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President, Corporate Partnerships.

“As an outdoor sport, our fans and players will put the YETI products to good use, whether out on the course with friends or at a PGA TOUR tournament. The Signature Drink program allows fans to enjoy beverages all day and go home with a unique keepsake.”

This marks only the third league partnership for YETI, following NASCAR and PBR, though the brand does have relationships with several individual sports franchises.

“We were thrilled at the opportunity to expand our partnership with the PGA TOUR in order to more broadly engage with fans and players, while simultaneously promoting sustainability and the reduction of single use plastic,” said Melisa Goldie, Chief Marketing Officer at YETI.

FIFA, LaLiga, Premier League Commission MarkMonitor For Research On BeoutQ

A joint statement by FIFA, the AFC, UEFA, the Bundesliga, LaLiga, Lega Serie A, LFP and the Premier League on the publication of an investigative report into the operations of beoutQ briefs below:

As rights holders of globally followed sports events, whose intellectual property rights have been breached on a systematic and widespread basis by the pirate broadcaster known as beoutQ, we have commissioned a leading industry body, MarkMonitor, to conduct research and produce a detailed and independent technical analysis of beoutQ’s operations.

The report confirms without question that beoutQ’s pirate broadcasts have been transmitted using satellite infrastructure owned and operated by Arabsat. The contents of the report are today being published in full on the rights holders’ websites to provide transparency about the facts of the case and to demonstrate the seriousness with which we, as global rights holders, view this issue. 

As previously communicated, we have been frustrated in our attempts to pursue a formal copyright claim against beoutQ in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and, while we have received reports that beoutQ transmissions are currently disrupted, we nevertheless call on Arabsat and all other satellite providers to stop (and going forward agree to refrain from) providing a platform for piracy, which harms not just legitimate licensees, fans and players but also the sports that it abuses. Cutting off its access to transmission services would be a major step in the fight to stop beoutQ. We all, individually and collectively, remain committed to bringing an end to international sports piracy.

The full MarkMonitor report can be found here.

MLS Names Bodyarmor As Official Sports Drink Partner

Major League Soccer (MLS) has signed a multi-year deal with Bodyarmor making them the league’s Official Sports Drink partner in the United States.

Bodyarmor will be featured at the inaugural Leagues Cup Final on Sept. 18 with the formal partnership commencing in January 2020.

As part of the agreement, Bodyarmor will hydrate MLS players with its  Bodyarmor Sports Drink on sidelines at matches and practices, in locker rooms and in training facilities. BODYARMOR’s logo and branding will be featured on coolers, cups, squirt bottles and towels on MLS sidelines within the territory starting in 2020. BODYARMOR and MLS will also collaborate on exclusive custom content and key media integrations featuring top MLS players and BODYARMOR athlete partners.

“Given the impressive growth that BODYARMOR has seen recently, it’s an exciting time for the brand to team up with Major League Soccer,” said Michael Fedele, Vice President of Marketing, BODYARMOR. “A partnership with Major League Soccer – one of the most engaging and fastest-growing professional sports leagues – creates a tremendous opportunity for BODYARMOR to play a vital role in the hydration needs of some of the best athletes in the world.”

The wide-ranging partnership extends BODYARMOR’s presence beyond MLS to Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup, annual competitions pitting the two best soccer Leagues in North America against each other on an annual basis. BODYARMOR’s commitment to soccer will be on display when the brand activates during the first edition of the Leagues Cup final. Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup represent exciting new initiatives for MLS and Liga MX, which are dedicated to delivering exciting matches that unite fanbases and increase the rivalry between the leagues.

“BODYARMOR is America’s new leader in sports hydration and they are a great fit for Major League Soccer – the League for a new North America,” said Carter Ladd, SVP of Business Development at MLS. “BODYARMOR believes in the future of Major League Soccer and is committed to joining us in our ongoing efforts to elevate soccer’s popularity to even higher levels in North America. BODYARMOR’s rise and momentum mirrors that of MLS, and we are excited to kick off the partnership at the Leagues Cup Final and look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

Leicester City Signs Yabo Sports As Official Club Partner

Leicester City Football Club has signed Yabo Sports as its official Club partner.

Yabo Sports – one of Asia’s gaming companies – will see their brand displayed on the Club’s matchday LED advertising and interview backdrops as they seek to benefit from the global coverage of LCFC and the Premier League.

Dean Hawkes, CEO of Yabo Sports, said: “We are extremely proud to partner with Leicester City, a club who have an exciting style of football and proud history which has given them a strong and loyal global fanbase.

“The Premier League is the most popular and watched football league in the world and a league that enjoys an ever-growing global reach. We see this partnership with the Club forming a key part of our expanding sponsorship portfolio as we continue to grow our brand profile in key regional territories.”

Harj Hir, Head of Partnerships at Leicester City, said: “The moment we met Yabo Sports we were impressed by their enthusiasm and keenness to work with the Football Club.

“They have partnered with some of the major football clubs in Europe and sporting events across the world, which demonstrates their strong profile within a competitive industry.”

Manchester United Signs Global Partnership With Visit Malta

Manchester United and the Government of Malta have signed a multi-year partnership which will see United promote Malta as a tourist destination to its global fan base.

As part of the partnership, Visit Malta and Manchester United will encourage the club’s fans around the world to experience the vibrant, young, exciting and beautiful country, with the Maltese Tourism Board providing attractive travel offers exclusively for Manchester United supporters.

Through the partnership, Visit Malta will get strong exposure during home matches and on the club’s digital marketing channels, social and printed media.

Manchester United’s director of partnerships, Sean Jefferson, comments: “Manchester United has long-standing links with Malta, welcoming hundreds of Maltese fans to Old Trafford every season.

“We are proud of our association with the country and look forward to working with the Maltese Tourism Ministry and Malta Tourism Authority to highlight the destination’s many great qualities to our international fan base.“

Malta’s Tourism Minister, Dr Konrad Mizzi, comments: “We are working on several initiatives to increase Malta’s brand awareness to attract tourists from new, non-traditional markets, attract more foreign direct investment and businesses, as well as increase Malta’s visibility around the world.

“This partnership complements our tourism strategy to consolidate our traditional markets such as the UK, whilst targeting new markets from the Eurasia region, where Manchester United holds a very strong following. I strongly believe that partnering with a club with such a renowned sporting heritage will help to place Malta on the map and establish itself as the number one destination to visit.”

 

Formula E Appoints Jamie Reigle As New CEO

Jamie Reigle has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Formula E with immediate effect.

The Canadian comes to Formula E from his previous position as Executive Vice-President of Business Operations at the Los Angeles Rams.

Prior to that, Reigle spent a decade as a senior executive at Manchester United where he served as a member of the board of directors, oversaw global commercial activity, launched the club’s Asia Pacific operations and led the company’s initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange.

Reigle was chosen following a rigorous selection process as the ideal candidate with a complementary skillset to work alongside Alejandro Agag, who makes the move to Chairman of Formula E.

Reigle’s commercial background and experience in growing brands – in two of the most prominent global sports leagues – will complement a young and accomplished executive line-up at Formula E. Working together, they will scale the business to meet the demands and potential of the fastest-growing series in motorsport.

Agag will work in tandem with Reigle in his new role, retaining relationships with key sponsors, teams and long-standing partners such as the FIA, as well as existing host cities. Reigle will oversee the overall management of the company, day-to-day operations and the delivery of ambitious plans for growth on a global scale.

The dynamic pairing will partner together to ensure a smooth and seamless transition and continue to work in close collaboration to help Formula E reach its full potential over the coming seasons.

Jamie said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be charged with leading Formula E through its next phase of development. I’ve followed the championship from inception and admired the global sports platform Alejandro and his team have created in short order. I’m eager to plug in and work with Alejandro to continue to develop Formula E as the most exciting series in motorsport and a platform for the potential of the future of electric vehicles and sustainable mobility.”

Alejandro Agag, Chairman of Formula E said: “I’d like to take this opportunity to officially welcome Jamie to the Formula E family. Jamie’s wealth of experience working in sports properties across North America, Europe and Asia make him the best person for the job. With his addition to our existing executive team, we have an incredibly strong line-up to continue building and developing Formula E through our next growth cycle. I’ll be making the transition to Chairman and will work in tandem with Jamie to ensure that our vision and plans for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship are fulfilled.”