BARCELONA: FC Barcelona announced on Tuesday a partnership with Konami Holding Group and eFootball.Pro to field a team in the first edition of the Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 (PES2018) League competition that will start in the next few weeks.
The blaugranes will have a professional team that will compete against other European teams to be announced shortly. Which European teams will be signing on will be worth watching as a number of European clubs with eSports programmes – among them being Paris Saint-Germain, Ajax Amsterdam and Manchester City – are already committed to FIFA.
Konami, founded in 1973, is a leading international digital entertainment company that develops content for mobiles and consoles. The company is known for games like Pro Evolution Soccer and Metal Gear, among others.
Since July 2016 Konami became a premium partner of FC Barcelona.
Spain and FC Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué is the founder of eFootball.Pro, an eSports company, competition developer and content creator. Its stated goal is to provide fans with the evolution of the traditional football show.
Incidentally, the development follows close on the heels of the International Tennis Federation announcing a 25-year, $3 billion partnership with investment group Kosmos, that would transform its flagship property – Davis Cup – and “generate substantial revenues for global tennis development”. Piqué is the founder and president of Kosmos.
Manel Arroyo, FC Barcelona vice president of Marketing and Communication, stated: “Barça is attentive to what happens in this global and technological world, and in view of the important growth of eSports, it is opening the way to also being a leader in this field. FC Barcelona, in keeping with its innovative spirit, has decided to participate in a pioneering competition in the world of eSports, by the best partners, Konami and eFootball.Pro. We are confident that this competition will continue to make members and culers from all over the world, as well as followers of eSports, proud.”
Piqué opined: “As a player, I’m excited that my club has decided to enter eSports and joins this innovative project that we are preparing together with Konami. Barça will be able to contribute their values to the competition and I am sure they will be a great rival for the rest of the teams. For our part, from eFootball.Pro, we join the club in this new adventure in the digital world and we will guide them so that they can make their fans feel as they do with the rest of their sports.”
Jonas Lygaard, director of Brand and Business Development of Konami Digital Entertaintment BV, added: “We are extremely excited to have one of the best clubs in the world, FC Barcelona, joining the league and for the first time entering the eSports market with the Pro Evolution Soccer platform. This agreement will allow us to be at another professional level and will give fans the opportunity to compete and officially represent FC Barcelona in one of the best global venues.”
