According to a new report from The Sun, a leading British tabloid, English Premier League giants Chelsea FC will start the new season without a shirt front sponsor for the second year in a row. The news has certainly dropped a bombshell on Chelsea fans and industry observers alike, especially with only seven days left before the start of the new Premier League season.
Looking back at last season, Chelsea also suffered from a vacant shirt chest sponsor at the start of the season, and it wasn't until September that a one-year deal worth £40 million was agreed with former sponsor Infinite Athlete. However, the situation seems to be even more dire this season, with Chelsea still unable to agree a deal with any new sponsors as the new season draws closer.
During the pre-season tour, Chelsea still had the Infinite Athlete logo on their shirts, mainly for contractual continuity reasons. However, according to Premier League rules, clubs can only have one shirt sponsor in a season, and once the new season starts, especially in key games such as the one against Manchester City, Chelsea will no longer be allowed to continue to use the Infinite Athlete logo on their shirts.
This rule certainly creates a bigger challenge for Chelsea's shirt sponsorship issues. Although the Premier League allows clubs to change sponsors once on a given matchday to promote a charity partner, this situation does not apply to Chelsea's current predicament. Meanwhile, the club can only change sponsors in exceptional circumstances if the club's current sponsors are experiencing financial problems and are unable to fulfill their contracts, but again, this clause does not apply to any new deal Chelsea may strike.
To complicate matters further, Chelsea have already arranged for Infinite Athlete to be the shirt cuff sponsor for this season, further limiting the club's options when looking for a new chest sponsor. However, Chelsea have not given up their efforts and are still hoping to secure a more lucrative contract through shirt chest sponsorship to ease the club's financial pressure.
Faced with such a predicament, Chelsea fans will undoubtedly feel worried and disappointed. After all, shirt chest sponsorship is one of the club's important sources of income, and is of vital importance to the club's operation and future development. However, in the current business environment, it is not easy to find a sponsor who is willing to pay a high sponsorship fee and is in line with the club's brand image.
