Santos Gets Chinese Car Manufacturer as Sponsor

Brazilian soccer giants, Santos has agreed a short-term shirt sponsorship deal with the Brazilian arm of Chinese automotive company Chery.

Under the deal Chery Brasil will be Santos’ main shirt sponsor for three rounds of the Sao Paulo state championship. The partnership commenced with Santos’ 2-1 win over Guarani on Saturday. It will continue for the club’s clash against Mirassol on Thursday before concluding with the game against Palmeiras on March 24.

Armenio Neto, marketing manager of Santos, said: “Santos have a tradition of being the gateway for some brands to Brazilian football, and with Chery this may be another one of those moments. We hope that our partnership is very positive for everyone.”

Marketing manager of Chery, Carlos Eduardo Lourenço,added: “From the results of this ‘tasting’ sponsorship, we will extend the action set up for a full season,” he said. The short-term deal was brokered by sports marketing agency BSB, which has partnered with Santos since 2003 and has sealed contracts for the club with the likes of BMG, Panasonic, SempToshiba and Bombril.