By Mark Baber
September 12 – The Belgian Football Association has extended its sponsorship deal with the Belgian arm of Dutch financial services firm ING for a further five years, taking the partnership through to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The deal includes sponsorship of the Belgian national team – the Red Devils – and continues INGs partnership with Belgian referees.
Speaking about the sponsorship of the national team, Rik Vandenberghe, CEO of ING Belgium said: “The players are an impressive team both on a sporting and human level. It is a pleasure to work with them, as we have just done in organizing a memorable encounter between some players and their lookalikes. The film has already been viewed more than 150,000 times, reflecting the public’s enthusiasm for this team as a professional and friendly outfit.”
ING has sponsored the national team since 2010. Belgium currently sit tenth in the FIFA Rankings and at the top of its qualifying group for the 2014 World Cup.
Clearly the success of the team is powerful motivator for the sponsor to remain involved, but so is the remarkable array of talent the team currently draws on.
The national team squad includes Toby Alderweireld, Christian Benteke, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Moussa Dembele, Marouane Fellaini, Vincent Kompany, Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens, Simon Mignolet, Radja Nianggolan, Kevin Mirallas, Romelu Lukaku, Jan Vertonghen, Thomas Vermaelen and Axel Witsel, a crop of players many of whom have benefited from Belgium’s academy system.
ING has launched a campaign called “I like referees” to support Belgian referees at local and national level. The new deal ensures the company will continue its support of referees whom the company hails as embodying essential values such as integrity and respect for the rules.
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