World Football Insider News

Sponsorship - Liverpool Renew Travel Partner; Palmeiras, Valencia Sign Shirt Sponsors

World Football Insider — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:05:42 GMT

Liverpool Re-sign Travel Partner

Thomas Cook is booked as the official travel partner of Liverpool FC through 2015.

The renewal comes as the Reds try to further extend their overseas presence and allows Thomas Cook to continue coupling accommodation with guaranteed match tickets.

Liverpool fans will also retain use of the exclusive Reds Holiday Club, ensuring supporter discounts on holidays booked through Thomas Cook.

"We look forward to working with Thomas Cook Sport over the next three seasons to support our mutual goals and ensure more fans can watch the team at home and abroad as we go from strength to strength both on and off the pitch," Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre said.

Thomas Cook Sport managing director Danny Talbot added: "We've built a strong relationship with the club and fans over the last four years, and we look forward to expanding our successful partnership over the coming seasons."

Emirates, Hamburg Renew

The largest airline in the Middle East will fly on for a further three seasons as the main sponsor of Hamburg SV.

Emirates has sponsored Hamburg since 2006. (Getty Images)

Volker Greiner, Emirates VP for North and Central Europe, HSV CEO Carl-Edgar Jarchow and HSV CMO Joachim Hilke made the announcement at a media conference Thursday in Hamburg.

"The renewal of our sponsorship with HSV underlines Emirates' commitment to sports fans worldwide, but especially to our customers in Germany," Salem Obaidalla, Emirates senior VP of commercial operations, Europe & Russian Federation was quoted by Gulf News.

Jarchow added: "It is a partnership with mutual benefits and we are very happy since both our brands share common goals like passion for excellence. This sponsorship underlines the airline's commitment to Germany and the desire to be part of the community and the social fabric of Hamburg."

Emirates also sponsors Arsenal of the English Premier League, AC Milan of Italy's Serie A and Paris St. Germain of France's Ligue 1.

Valencia Inks Shirt Sponsor

Chinese energy specialist JinkoSolar is the new shirt sponsor of Spanish football giant Valencia C.F.

Valencia and Barcelona are tied 1-1 after the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final. (Getty Images)

The sponsorship will begin with the second leg of a Copa del Rey semi-final match against FC Barcelona slated for Feb. 8 at Valencia's Estadio Mestalla.

"We always look forward to collaborating with businesses that want to make an impact on a global scale, which is why we are very excited that JinkoSolar has chosen to partner with Valencia C.F.," said club president Manuel Llorente.

"We are currently in the process of reconstructing our home stadium - one of the biggest in the world - and with our established partnership with JinkoSolar, we are initiating a development project for renewable and sustainable energies within our facilities."

JinkoSolar chief marketing officer Arturo Herrero added: "As we continue to look for avenues to highlight the vast benefits of solar, Valencia C.F. offers the perfect arena to do just that. Our partnership with Valencia C.F. serves our overall purpose of continuing to promote the widespread adoption of solar energy in Spain and across Europe."

JinkoSolar also sponsors Germany's national team as well as Bayer 04 Leverkusen of the Bundesliga.

Palmeiras, Kia Cozy Up

Kia Motors of Brazil will lend its logo to the shirts of Palmeiras for the next three seasons.

The club in Sao Paulo will pocket a reported US$14.4 million annually from the deal, though neither party has confirmed the financial figures.

"I have no doubt that this is a new milestone for Palmeiras in 2012," said Palmeiras president Arnaldo Tirone.

"Everyone knows how difficult the market is, but Kia bet on the strength and credibility of the brand and therefore opted to close this partnership. Kia is one of the largest automotive companies in the world and it will be an honor to have a sponsorship like this on our shirt."

Kia Motors of Brazil president Jos� Luiz Gandini added: "We had conversations at a high level with Palmeiras and have always supported sport and football in general. That is something that is in the DNA of Kia. I'm sure the success achieved with our brand in Brazil, where we have operated for more than 20 years, will also be brought to Palmeiras."

By INSIDER's�Matthew Grayson

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Newsdesk - Swiss Supreme Court Tackles FIFA Corruption; 500 Days to Confederations Cup

World Football Insider — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:17:55 GMT

Swiss Supreme Court Tackles FIFA Corruption

Switzerland's supreme court is next in line to hear FIFA's long-running corruption case.

Ex-president Joao Havelange is one of several FIFA officials believed to be implicated in the ISL scandal. (WFI)

According to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, five separate case files are now open and are likely to take several months to process.

The appeals challenge a regional court's recent ruling for FIFA to publish the ISL dossier naming football officials who took kickbacks from World Cup TV deals.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter had promised to release the files at an Executive Committee meeting in December, but "legal hurdles" posed by a third-party suit stalled the process until a court decision just before year's end appeared to clear the way for the controversial dossier's release.

That ruling was, however, open to appeal for 30 days, so someone appears to have beaten that deadline. The identities of the appellants will, however, remain confidential per court order.

The case relates to the scandal involving FIFA's former marketing agency International Sport and Leisure (ISL) and dates back to the presidency of Joao Havelange, who resigned from the International Olympic Committee in December just days before he was expected to face the wrath of an IOC Ethics Commission report.

Also under investigation are Brazilian Football Confederation president and 2014 World Cup chief Ricardo Teixeira, CONMEBOL president Nicolas Leoz and African football boss Issa Hayatou, who received a reprimand from the IOC for his role in the scandal.

500 Days to Confederations Cup

FIFA marked 500 days to the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil on Wednesday by unveiling the tournament's logo.

The design features a species of Brazilian bird - the Rufous-bellied Thrush.

"This unveiling goes to show just how quickly things are progressing," FIFA said in a statement. "And, in exactly 500 days' time, will come the moment Brazil has been waiting for since they were announced as 2014 FIFA World Cup hosts back in 2007: watching the world's best players grace Brazilian soil."

FIFA also confirmed that Brasilia's new Estadio Nacional will host the June 15 opener and a revamped Maracana will stage the June 30 final.

Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza will also get matches in between. The cities of Recife and Salvador are awaiting FIFA approval.

"To all of us in the Local Organizing Committee, the FIFA Confederations Cup is much more than just a preparatory tournament for the FIFA World Cup," said Brazil legend and LOC board member Ronaldo.

"We're determined to put on a great fiesta next year, a genuine Festival of Champions."

The Confederations Cup is considered a dress rehearsal for the following year's FIFA World Cup and features for 2013 the winners of FIFA's continental associations plus the current world champions Spain and hosts Brazil.

By INSIDER's Matthew Grayson and Edward Hula III

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Blatter: Egyptian Tragedy "Black Day for Football"; Hayatou Shock

World Football Insider — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:25:19 GMT

Egyptian police clash with fans after the football match on Wednesday night in Port Said, 220km northeast of Cairo (Getty)

(WFI) FIFA president Sepp Blatter says the football violence in Egypt that left at least 74 fans dead was "a black day for football" and should have been prevented.

"I am very shocked and saddened to learn that a large number of football supporters have died or been injured following a match in Port Said, Egypt," Blatter said in a statement.

"This is a black day for football. Such a catastrophic situation is unimaginable and should not happen."

The Port Said tragedy occurred when rival fans invaded the pitch and fought running battles after Al Masry bear Al-Ahly 3-1. Knives, stones and bottles were used as weapons in Egypt's worst ever outbreak of football hooliganism. Police were quickly overwhelmed and reportedly powerless to stop the violence escalating.

Al-Ahly player Abo Treika criticised the police's handling of the hooliganism. "This is not football. This is a war and people are dying in front of us. There is no movement and no security and no ambulances."

FIFA has asked the Egyptian FA for a full report into the football rioting.

The Egyptian FA has indefinitely suspended football in the country's four divisions and announced a period of mourning for three days "for the souls of those who have fallen victim to the violence".

The Confederation of African Football expressed its shock at the Egyptian football disaster in which more than 1,000 fans were injured in the clashes.

CAF president Issa Hayatou, who is currently in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea at the Africa Cup of Nations, sent a message of condolence to the Egyptian FA.

"African football is in a state of mourning," he said.

Hayatou confirmed that a minute's silence will be observed for victims of the tragedy during the quarter final matches of the Africa Cup of Nations over the weekend.

The Egyptian capital, Cairo, has served as the CAF headquarters since the continental football body was established in 1957.

By INSIDER editor Mark Bisson

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Egyptian Football Violence Kills 74, Injures 1,000 More

World Football Insider — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:36:54 GMT

Riot police and football fans clash in Port Said, 220km northeast of Cairo. (Getty Images)

(WFI) At least 74 fans are dead and more than 1,000 injured following Egypt's worst ever football disaster.

Wednesday's riots in Port Said between rival groups of supporters also marked the most violent outbreaks yet since last February's resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak.

According to Al Jazeera, spectators started flooding the field seconds after al-Masry, the home team, topped al-Ahly, one of Egypt's most storied clubs, 3-1.

Police around the stadium were quickly overwhelmed, and officers stood by as fans fought each other with knives, stones and bottles.

A stampede also ensued as riot police rushed to get the players off the pitch safely.

"This is not football. This is a war and people are dying in front of us. There is no movement and no security and no ambulances," al-Ahly player Abo Treika told his team's TV channel. "This is a horrible situation and today can never be forgotten."

Egyptian deputy health minister Hesham Sheiha echoed his sense of severity.

"This is unfortunate and deeply saddening. It is the biggest disaster in Egypt's soccer history," he told state media, adding that most of the injuries were caused by concussion and deep cuts.

The Egyptian Football Association indefinitely delayed premier league matches following the violence, and Egypt's newly seated parliament will hold an emergency session Thursday to respond to the riots.

Post-match violence in Egypt last erupted in September when at least 130 were injured after a clash between fans and riot police as well as more famously following a 2009 FIFA qualifier that sent Algeria on to the South African World Cup. Angry spectators then stormed the streets around the Algerian embassy and set fire to cars, homes and businesses.

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Goal-Line Technology Decision Looms; IFAB Examines 4th Substitute Plan

World Football Insider — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:15:32 GMT

IFAB is made up of representatives from FIFA as well as the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. (Getty Images)

(WFI) The introduction of goal-line technology in football could soon move a step closer, and so too could a fourth sub in extra time.

Both are among the agenda items confirmed Wednesday by FIFA to be up for discussion in Surrey, England at a March 3 meeting of the International Football Association Board.

The rule-making panel is set to receive results from a first testing phase of goal-line systems from eight European companies conducted in November and December by a Swiss institute.

IFAB will pick which finalists advance to further testing between March and June with a final decision scheduled for a special meeting in Kiev on July 2, the day after the Euro 2012 finale.

Also on the agenda is whether the current three substitutes allowed should be increased when matches go into extra time.

''The FIFA Task Force Football 2014, the medical committee and the football committee support the proposal in order to maintain the technical level until the 120th minute and to protect the health of the players,'' FIFA said Wednesday.

Seven other proposals and amendments to the Laws of the Game are up for a vote as well, including a clarification of what a referee should do if a dropped ball is kicked directly into an opponents' goal and a new text to tackle the 'so-called' triple punishment following the recommendation by the FIFA Task Force Football 2014.

At present, a penalty-kick, sending off and player suspension are the three sanctions for a player who denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by an offence punishable in the penalty area.

An update on the additional assistant referees experiment, a discussion led by FIFA vice president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein about the traditional Islamic hijab headscarf and more information regarding the use of vanishing spray by referees at the CONMEBOL 2011 Copa America are also on the agenda for the IFAB summit.

By INSIDER's Matthew Grayson

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IOC Chiefs Visit Man Utd as Part of Olympic Football Venues Inspection

World Football Insider — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:04:28 GMT

Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli and IOC Coordination Commission chairman Denis Oswald are in Glasgow and Newcastle today (Getty)

(WFI) International Olympic Committee inspectors watched Manchester United beat Stoke City 2-0 at Old Trafford last night as part of a check-up on all of the Olympic football venues outside London this week.

IOC Coordination Commission chairman Denis Oswald and Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli are conducting a four-day project review of London 2012 preparations, one of the last before the Co-com's full inspection in March.

They received VIP treatment ahead of the game at the 76,000-seat ground, which will host a semi-final in both the men's and women's competitions at the Olympics.

Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov scored penalties to give their side a comfortable win over Stoke and put United level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. City were beaten 1-0 by Everton.

Six stadia will stage the men's and women's football competition at the Olympics.

On Tuesday, the IOC delegation also visited Coventry's Ricoh Arena before heading north to Manchester.

The official London 2012 football test event takes place at the 32,000-seater in Coventry on April 23. Senegal will do battle with the Asian group champions for the final berth at the Olympics.

The IOC inspectors are today visiting Glasgow's Hampden Park ground, Scotland's national football stadium, and Newcastle United's St James' Park.

Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, host of the 1999 Rugby World Cup final, is the final stop on the venue tour on Thursday.

"They're visiting the different stadia, getting an update on their preparations for the Games, and meeting some of the people involved," an IOC spokesman told INSIDER.

One of the challenges for all football venues is to

Javier Hernandez scored from the penalty spot last night (Getty)

make sure they are 'clean' venues for the Games. It means any displays of home team or stadium advertising partners must be removed or covered up to make way for IOC sponsors. Stadium security operations are also being scrutinised by the IOC officials.

The Welsh retractable-roof venue with a 74,600 capacity is slated to host the first event of the Olympics. A women's football match takes place there on July 25 two days before the Games opening ceremony.

Team GB's men's team, coached by Stuart Pearce, will begin their campaign at Old Trafford on July 26.

Oswald and Felli have previously signed off on Olympic preparations at Wembley Stadium, the 90,000-seat iconic venue that will host gold medal events in both football competitions.

The official draw for the Olympic football tournament is scheduled for April 24 at Wembley.

Tickets for the 2012 football tournament can be purchased at www.tickets.london2012.com. The sales window closes on Feb. 6.

At London 2012, the men's and women's football competitions will include 16 and 12 teams respectively.

The IOC delegation began this week's "project review" of 2012 preparations on Monday with meetings in London offering "a general update on the advancement of the [Olympics] project". Areas covered off included venue operations, sport, transport, security and technology.

By INSIDER editor Mark Bisson

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Newsdesk - Zimbabwe Bans 67 Amid Match-Fixing Probe; Spurs Stay Put

World Football Insider — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:36:59 GMT

Zimbabwe Match-Fixing Probe Nets 67

The bulk of Zimbabwe's national team is now suspended by the country's FA following a match-fixing probe.

Zimbabwe (yellow) could soon be fielding a whole different crop of players. (Getty Images)

Last year's investigation by the Zimbabwe Football Association led to players admitting they accepted bribes from a Singaporean betting syndicate from 2007 to 2009 to lose exhibition matches in the Far East, according to the Associated Press.

"The ZIFA board has resolved that all players implicated in the match-fixing scandal must not be included in the national team matches from now onwards," ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze said, adding that any of the 67 players under investigation must be cleared by ZIFA's ethics committee before rejoining the team.

Mashingaidze was speaking after an emergency board meeting on Monday to discuss Zimbabwe's surprise failure to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations currently underway in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

"The sentiment in every Zimbabwean was that the team was failing to qualify for major tournaments since we were using players who had been tainted by this scandal," he was quoted by the South African Press Association.

"For now the coach has been instructed to call up only players who are clean and cannot be manipulated to throw away matches."

Tottenham Secures Funding, Stays Put

Spurs will stay put in Tottenham following funding pledges from Haringey Council and the London Mayor.

The Premier League side scrapped plans to move into Olympic Stadium after falling short to West Ham in last year's bidding race, which is now being rerun following legal challenges. But now $14 million from Haringey and $28 million from mayor Boris Johnson appears to be the consolation prize.

"As a major employer and business in the area we are delighted with this commitment from the Mayor and Haringey Council," Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said on Tuesday in a joint statement with Haringey Council.

"We have long said we could only invest in the area if we could see our commitment supported by others and that there was a real need to maximize the regeneration benefits and lift the wider area."

This marks the clearest commitment yet to the Northumberland Development Project, a plan to replace the club's longtime home at White Hart Lane with a new 56,000-seat stadium and accompanying homes, hotel as well as businesses.

Sounds of South Africa 2010 Drive Legacy

Proceeds from "Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album" are at $2.5 million and counting.

FIFA announced Tuesday that Sony Music and its artists agreed that more than $2.3 million will be going toward "20 Centers for 2010" with the remainder donated to other African causes.

"We are delighted that this additional extensive investment into the legacy project of the FIFA World Cup is bringing change to disadvantaged communities across Africa," said Federico Addiechi, Head of FIFA Corporate Social Responsibility.

"Sony has already been an invaluable partner for many of our social projects, and we are very glad to continue this collaboration."

Football for Hope Centers in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Mali, Lesotho, Rwanda and Ghana are already complete with 13 more to come by the end of 2013.

By INSIDER's Matthew Grayson

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Newsdesk - USA's Women's League Scraps 2012 Season; Olympic Qualification Update

World Football Insider — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:14:36 GMT

2012 Season Nixed for Women's Professional Soccer

Women's Professional Soccer is scrapping its 2012 season to resolve legal issues involving an ousted owner.

Dan Borislow bought the Washington Freedom last year, relocated to Florida and renamed the club magicJack after a telecommunications device he invented.

After frequent clashes throughout the 2011 season, WPS terminated Borislow's franchise in October but did not follow its own dispute procedures in doing so, says a Florida judge hearing the case.

"It is necessary to take the time to address current issues and solidify our business in order to provide appropriate support needed to achieve the League's long-term goals," WPS CEO Jennifer O'Sullivan said after her league's board of governors voted to nix the 2012 season.

Sky Blue FC owner Thomas Hofstetter added: "This was a very difficult decision, but one we as owners feel is the best business decision for the league at this time."

WPS wrapped up its third season last August with Brazilian phenom Marta, a four-time FIFA World Player of the Year, leading Western New York Flash to the league title in the franchise's debut season.

According to Monday's statement, all five owners of existing WPS teams plan to field teams for a 2013 season. Per a December deal with the U.S. Soccer Federation, they'll need a sixth in order to maintain first-division status.

USA, Canada Win Women's Olympic Berths

USA and Canada both booked their places at the London 2012 Olympics after reaching the final of the CONCACAF region's qualification tournament.

Abby Wambach and teammates celebrate Friday's win over Costa Rica. (Getty Images)

Pia Sundhage's USA team secured qualification to an Olympic Games for a fifth successive time after overcoming Costa Rica 3-0 in one Friday semi-final while Canada beat Mexico 3-1 in the other.

USA then routed their rivals 4-0 in Sunday's final with a brace of goals apiece from star forwards Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan.

"We qualified already, but that wasn't the end of the tournament," said Morgan. "It's never just a game. It's never just a friendly. We wanted to finish the tournament off strong - no goals against, and we are happy with the end result."

The final berth for the Olympic tournament will go to the winner of the Oceanic Football Confederation's qualification tournament taking place in late March.

The draw for Olympic preliminaries will follow April 24 with group winners and runners-up and the two best third-ranked teams advancing to the quarter-finals.

AFC President Urges Headscarf Review

Acting AFC chief Zhang Jilong reiterates the Asian Football Confederation's desire for the International Football Association Board to reconsider its headscarf rule at

Iranian girls donned special garb for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games tournament in Singapore. (WFI)

a March 3 meeting in London.

"Many women footballers in Asia wear headscarves," Jilong, also a member of FIFA's Executive Committee, was quoted Monday on AFC.com.

"I would like to request the IFAB to favorably consider FIFA's proposal and review the rule and allow women players to play wearing a safe headscarf that covers the neck."

FIFA recently fielded complaints from the football federation of Iran after its women's team was banned from an Olympic qualifier because of its Islamic dress. At the time, FIFA insisted team officials were well-aware that the so-called hijab is banned for safety reasons - and has been since 2007.

FIFA previously banned Iran for similar kits as well. Its girls instead opted for specially made caps at the inaugural Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010.

According to Jilong, several such designs are now commercially available.

"I have personally seen the new designs with a velcro joined at the neck, which releases if the headscarf is pulled, ensuring the player's safety," he explained.

By INSIDER's Matthew Grayson and Christian Radnedge

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Poland Finally Opens Warsaw National Stadium for Euro 2012

World Football Insider — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:02:37 GMT

Warsaw's Euro 2012 stadium was opened on Sunday (Getty)

(WFI) Warsaw's delay-hit national stadium for Euro 2012 was inaugurated on Sunday with a five-hour pop concert. The 58,000-capacity stadium hosts the tournament opener between Poland and Greece on June 8.

Polish groups including Zakopower and T.Love entertained thousands of people before a fireworks show lit up the night sky above the venue that is estimated to have cost around $700 million.

"I am happy that this time we have met the deadline," Poland's sports minister Joanna Mucha said at Sunday's news conference.

"We are hoping the National Stadium can host 10 to 15 major events a year as well as a number of smaller ones," she was quoted by Reuters.

In the national colours of white and red, the basket-shaped stadium is the country's first retractable-roof venue.

With the needle architectural motif at its centre from which the roof canopy unfolds, it's set to be the talk of the tournament.

UEFA chiefs will be relieved that all Euro 2012 host venues are finally complete.

A series of construction delays hampered preparations at a handful of stadiums in Poland and co-host Ukraine; president Michel Platini had threatened to strip Ukraine of co-host status 18 months ago before work accelerated and concerns diminished.

The opening of Warsaw's national stadium has been delayed by seven months. Construction issues with staircases and a series of other technical glitches impacted progress on the project.

Safety officials only gave their seal of approval for the stadium opening on Friday.

But with just 129 days from kick off, the turf pitch has yet to be installed.

Venue operations will be tested at the first football match, a Polish SuperCup tie between Legia Warsaw and Wisla Krakow, on Feb 11.

Poland's first match at the ground is against Portugal on Feb. 29.

Warsaw's iconic stadium is one of eight venues for UEFA's 16-nation Euro 2012 competition - four in Poland, four in Ukraine

Poland's other stadia are in Gdansk, Poznan and Wroclaw. Ukraine's host venues are in Kyiv, Lviv, Donetsk and Kharkiv. Kyiv's Olympic stadium is slated to host the final on July 1.

By INSIDER editor Mark Bisson

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Sponsorship - Man Utd Plot Trophy Tour; Mexico Sign Shirt Sponsor

World Football Insider — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:34:10 GMT

Globetrotting Ahead for Man Utd

Manchester United are taking the Premier League trophy globetrotting during the DHL Champ19ns Trophy Tour, including to India for the first time ever.

Manchester United players with the Premier League trophy after their 2010-2011 title. (Getty Images)

The four-month journey unveiled Thursday will see the reigning champs of English football travel almost 48,000 miles among 27 new destinations such as Turkey, Korea, Tokyo, Vietnam and Norway on the dime of official logistics partner DHL.

"The 19th League title was a special moment for everyone in the Manchester United family and the DHL Champ19ns Trophy Tour is our way of being able to share that historic achievement with our 333 million fans," Man Utd commercial director Richard Arnold said.

"The passion and fervor of United fans is famous around the world. We are looking forward to being able to continue that celebration in India."

The jaunt kicks off Feb. 4 in Delhi with Man Utd legends Denis Irwin and Quinton Fortune alongside famed mascot Fred the Red mascot. Mumbai is also on the itinerary for Feb. 6 as the Premier League trophy makes its first-ever trip around India.

Other club legends including Andrew Cole, Lee Sharpe, Bryan Robson, Paul Parker, Ronny Johnsen, Jesper Blomqvist, Gary Bailey and Gary Pallister will join the tour elsewhere in the world.

John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express Europe, added: "With a global network of more than 220 countries it is great that some of our customers will have the opportunity to meet the United legends and see the Premier League trophy close up."

DHL has sponsored similar trophy tours of Latin America, parts of Asia and, of course, Manchester itself in the past.

New Shirt Sponsor for Mexico

Mexico and Maseca have teamed up (Getty Images)

Tortilla brand Maseca will sponsor the shirts of Mexico's national team through at least 2014.

The new look debuted Wednesday night during a 3-1 friendly win over Venezuela played in Houston, Texas.

Mexico will also sport the new shirts for the 2013 Confederations Cup, CONCACAF Gold Cup and qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

"This support for the national team is in line with the global strategy of the company and the philosophy of its president, Roberto Gonzalez Barrera, to always promote sport, health and nutrition," said Roberto Gonzalez Alcala, Latin America and Mexico director of Maseca parent company Gruma.

Financial details of the deal have yet to be released by the Mexican Football Federation.

New Partner for Inter

A Polish window manufacturer is the newest sponsor of Italian football giants FC Internazionale.

The 18-month deal gives Oknoplast branding on the club's website as well as throughout Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan.

"On all markets our aim is to show we are a company that can dictate new trends, communicating the commitment of our group regarding the research, quality, elegance and design that go into our products," Oknoplast president Mikolaj Placek said in a statement.

"Sponsoring FC Internazionale will help us reach thousands of fans and not only Italians in order to show our commitment alongside a team of such valor."

Carlsberg Signs Up Schmeichel

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel will lend to a hand to Danish beer brand Carlsberg ahead of its Euro 2012 campaign.

Schmeichel, Denmark's Euro 1992-winning goalkeeper, now serves as a commentator, a pundit and - thanks to Carlsberg - a beer spokesman, at least for the upcoming finals in Poland and the Ukraine.

Peter Schmeichel during Euro 1992. (Getty Images)

"We are confident that Peter will help us to deliver another very successful UEFA Euro campaign," said Carlsberg CEO J�rgen Buhl Rasmussen.

Schmeichel added: "I believe that Carlsberg is one of the reasons that I got the chance to play football. When I was growing up, I dreamt about playing for both my national team, Denmark, and for Manchester United. At that time, in the 1970s, Carlsberg had already started investing in and supporting Danish football and this provided opportunities for people like myself to get more involved in this wonderful game."

Puma, Palermo Ink Kit Deal

Palermo of Italy's Serie A will play, train and relax in Puma apparel "for years to come".

"We are extremely pleased to have agreed this new partnership with Palermo Football Club, a prestigious team that in addition to its strong heritage in Italian football, shares with Puma the same values, excitement and love for sport," said Puma Italy general manager Andrea Rogg.

Palermo CEO Rinaldo Sagramola added, "We are proud to be entering into this partnership with Puma, and look forward to working with them from the 2012/13 season in prospect. Puma has such credibility in the development of high quality performance football apparel, and the sales and distribution of licensed products, this new partnership is one that will significantly benefit Palermo for years to come."

It's unclear exactly how long "for years to come" is. Neither Puma nor Palermo released the length nor financial details of the deal.

By INSIDER's Matthew Grayson

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