With Samsung’s 10-year affiliation with Chelsea due to come to an end in the summer, a list of replacements are rumoured to me be in place, with Turkish Airlines favourite to become the next shirt sponsor.
After 10 years of on-the-field success, both Samsung and Chelsea have enjoyed a prosperous relationship. The South Korean giants have become an iconic part of Chelsea Football Club.
With Financial Fair Play hitting the club hard, Chelsea is seeking an improvement on the £18m a year sponsorship deal currently on the table with Samsung. This is understandable as Manchester United are reportedly earning £50m a year with there shirt sponsors Chevrolet.
Chelsea is the fourth most supported football team in the world, behind Man United, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Comparing the shirt deals for those clubs, Samsung have certainly got a cheap deal.
Club shirts mean a lot to the fans, it’s how we show support for our clubs. It is important that any deal Chelsea make benefits the club financially but is also a good fit for the club.
At the time, Samsung was the leading Electronics Company in the world. They had innovative designs, no history with supporting other Premier League teams and were still growing. The ambition of the company matched that of Chelsea. That’s why the two became such good partners in business.
If Turkish Airlines was to become the new shirt sponsor, I personally would be disappointed. I don’t think they fit in with Chelsea and they have a history of supporting other English teams.
I might seem a bit strange, but I wouldn’t step foot in a Chevrolet car purely because they sponsor United. Likewise, I don’t drink Carlsberg lager because they once sponsored Liverpool. I don’t like the idea of supporting another club financially. I hear many fans are similar in behaviour.
I would like to see a company such as Apple or Bentley sponsor Chelsea. A company that is classy and reflects what Chelsea is all about. The money is important but image has to come first.