Qatar Airways signed a multi-year partnership with Italian football club AS Roma ahead of the team facing Liverpool tonight in the Champions League semi-final first leg.
The undisclosed deal is claimed to be the largest ever signed by the club and will see the Gulf carrier become AS Roma’s main global partner.
The Qatar Airways logo will appear on the team’s shirts through the 2020-21 season. Qatar Airways will be only the seventh shirt sponsor in the club’s 90-year history.
The airline flies twice a day from Doha to Rome and Milan, as well as daily to Venice and Pisa.
Qatar Airways last year announced the acquisition of 49% of AQA Holding, the new parent company of Air Italy, which previously operated as Meridiana.
The airline signed a five-year deal with German football giants Bayern Munich last month to become platinum partner until June 2023.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said: “We are very pleased to announce this new partnership, which will see Qatar Airways become the official shirt sponsor of AS Roma through the 2020-21 season.
“AS Roma is one of the most successful and well-known football clubs in the world, and our shared passion to strive for excellence and innovation make this a natural partnership.
“As an airline, we understand the power of sport in bringing people together, and our new partnership with AS Roma further underscores this belief.”
AS Roma president Jim Pallotta added that the announcement was “the result of behind the scenes discussions for more than eight months with Qatar Airways, led by our commercial team in London with much assistance from the entire Roma team, and comes at a significant time in the club’s history, on and off the pitch”.
He added: “With a new stadium due to begin construction late this year and the team in the Champions League semi-final for the first time for 34 years, it’s an exciting time to be a Roma fan.
“We shall be proud to wear the Qatar Airways name on our shirts and we look forward to working together to achieve sporting and commercial success for many years to come.”