FC Barcelona has become the first European football club to sign a long-term strategic agreement with the USA Major League Soccer (MLS). Vice-presidents Ferran Soriano and Jaume Ferrer signed the agreement on Thursday in New York.
FC Barcelona has agreed to play at least six friendlies in the USA during the next five years. In
return, the Club is guaranteed a presence and permanent promotion of the Barça brand in the North
American market. The first sporting engagements resulting from this agreement will take place this
summer and will be announced next week. This alliance involves commercial activities, sponsorship,
marketing and public relations.
A global brand
Club vice-president for marketing, Jaume Ferrer, stressed the importance of this alliance:
“This agreement doesn’t just involve a number of friendlies but also gives the Barça
brand a permanent presence in the US. There won’t just be commercial activities. We’ll
also carry out social activities to spread the idea of ‘more than a club in the
world’”.
For his part, Club vice-president for economic affairs, Ferran Soriano, told us:
“Barça will support and strengthen football in the United States. Through this promotion we
will also promote and support the Barça brand in North America. We are keen to capture sponsors and
brands that, in the future, can associate with the name of FC Barcelona in the United
States”.
The grandeur of Barça
MLS Commissioner, Don Garber, expressed his satisfaction with the agreement: “The FC
Barcelona brand is known throughout the world for its great history, extraordinary footballers,
dynamic playing style and successes. In addition, Barça has shown itself to be more than a Club
thanks to its commitment to global causes. The MLS is delighted to help spread the history of FC
Barcelona and the development of its brand in North America”.
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A complete success in 2006
FC Barcelona’s tour of the USA in summer 2006 was a big success with the public. The three
matches filled the stadiums and were watched by an average of 80,734 fans, more than watched any
other European club. The first match was held in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where Barça
drew 1-1 against Guadalajara in front of 92,650 spectators. The second match was a 3-3 draw against
Club America in Houston’s Reliant Stadium with a crowd of 70,550. The third match was in the
Giants Stadium in New York, where 79,002 spectators saw Barça beat the New York Red Bulls.