By David Gold
October 24 – Continental will be an official UEFA European Championships sponsor for both the 2012 tournament, being held in Ukraine and Poland, and the 2016 event in France.
The leading automotive supplier generated sales of €26 billion (£23 billion/$36 billion) in 2010, and their tyre division is already a sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, as well as the German Cup.
They previously sponsored the European competition in 2008, and this latest deal sees them join the likes of Adidas, Canon, Carlsberg and Coca-Cola as a global sponsor.
Nikolai Setzer, an Executive Board member for Continental’s tyre division, said: “After the thoroughly gratifying experience with UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, we intend to bolster our top market position in Europe by means of these two exclusive sponsoring agreements.
“The image attributes – passion, precision and the kind of team spirit expressed so well during the world’s best football tournaments – match up perfectly with our premium brand and to the Continental company as a whole.
“The world’s second biggest football tournament grabs a lot of attention in the countries immediately adjacent, in the strategically important growth markets in eastern Europe, as well as in Asia and South America.”
UEFA Events marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein said: “It is great to be able to welcome Continental back to the UEFA Euro sponsor family.
“Continental has been an active supporter of the game for many years.
“We look forward to working closely with Continental on our shared mission of making both Euro 2012 and Euro 2016 exciting and memorable events.”
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