FCBARCELONA.CAT

02.06.2010 12:49

Herbalife, new nutrition sponsor

www.fcbarcelona.cat

FC Barcelona has announced a three-year, multi-million dollar agreement with Herbalife Ltd to make Herbalife the club’s Official Nutrition Sponsor. At the same time, Leo Messi has agreed to a personal sponsorship agreement with Herbalife Ltd.

The agreement was announced in a press conference this lunchtime by club Vice-President Rafael Yuste, Director General Joan Oliver and Herbalife President Des Walsh. Sr Yuste explained: “Herbalife is a leader in nutritional products and also has a big commitment to solidarity projects, especially with children who are suffering from nutritional problems. We established our first contacts with them during last summer’s tour of the US”.

The contract with FC Barcelona involves the acquisition by Herbalife of global association rights, as well as various publicity assets and rights held by the club to promote its name internationally and Sr Oliver added: “this agreement is part of the club’s internationalisation of its sponsors. Barca is becoming a global trade mark and a reference throughout the world. This is resulting in an increasing number of companies who wish to be associated with us”.

Logo on shirt on tours

The Director General also revealed that the company will also have a strong presence in Barca’s pre-season friendly games or on the international tours the club undertakes each year before official competitions begin: “they’ll be present on the shirts we wear on tour, less than UNICEF and visible on the shirt sleeves”.

The agreement also states that as nutrition sponsor, doctors and nutrition experts from Herbalife’s Nutrition Advisory Board will meet with members of the first team to develop specific nutrition programs to support them and Rafael Yuste stressed the importance of a correct diet in the work Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff do with the players.

Leo Messi also reaches deal

In addition to, and as a consequence of, the deal with the club, Herbalife have also reached an agreement with Leo Messi to become the public face of the company in its global promotional activities for the next three years.

Solidarity

One of the more notable features of the agreement is that a percentage of the sponsorship fee will be paid to the FCB Foundation whose XICS Centres work to help children at risk all over the world. Herbalife President Des Walsh insisted: “we are more than just a company and we know that Barca are more than just a club – that’s why we are coming together”.

In a similar vein, the agreement with Leo Messi involves the development of programmes to assist children nutritional health and education initiatives carried out via the Leo Messi Foundation in collaboration with the Herbalife Familiy Foundation.