Qatar Airways replaces Lufthansa as Bayern Munich sponsor

DOHA, Qatar: FC Bayern Munich AG and Qatar Airways have agreed a new partnership. The airline replaces German national carrier Lufthansa and will be an FC Bayern platinum partner from 1 July until 2023.

The carrier Qatar Airways Group also operates the Hamad International Airport in Doha and FC Bayern agreed a partnership in January 2016. This sponsorship agreement will now be transferred in its entirety to Qatar Airways. 

According to Frankfurt-based newspaper FAZ, the contract between Bayern and Qatar Airways is worth more than the annual €10 million (US$12.3 million) that Hamad International Airport was paying.

Qatar Airways will be listed as a second-level platinum partner of Bayern in the category below their main sponsors Adidas, Telekom, Audi and Allianz.

The current partnership with Lufthansa AG expires as agreed on 30 June. "FC Bayern München would like to thank their partner Lufthansa and especially chairman Carsten Spohr for the good, professional and always trustful cooperation. We wish Lufthansa great success and all the best for the future," declared FC Bayern marketing director Andreas Jung.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker commented: “The strengthening of this fantastic sponsorship between Qatar’s award-winning airport and FC Bayern München truly demonstrates the State of Qatar’s role as a global leader in sports. The HIA-Qatar logo on the sleeve of every FC Bayern München jersey helps display the importance that we as a nation place on sports as a means of bringing people together. The HIA-Qatar enhancement of its sponsorship has also further aligned itself with our nation’s ambitious national vision.” 

FC Bayern München executive board member Andreas Jung said: “Starting this season, our players will feature the HIA-Qatar logo on the jersey’s sleeves. When we signed the contract with Hamad International Airport in January 2016, the sponsor's badge on the sleeve was already part of our agreement. So far the HIA-Qatar logo has already been placed on the training uniforms.”

Hamad International Airport chief operating officer Badr Mohammed Al Meer said: “HIA-Qatar’s growing and successful partnership with FC Bayern München opens up new and exciting avenues for this collaboration. We are rightly delighted to have our five-star airport’s logo on Germany’s most-winning team’s jersey.

“FC Bayern München are Germany’s sporting superstars, so it’s only right that they should be in partnership with the Middle East’s five-star airport, as we are both at the top of our game and both look forward to staying in the premiere league.”