FC Bayern Forum

MUTU wrote: but with Qatar it's questionable. I don't understand how a country with a population of a mere 2 million (4x the population of Malta) has so many companies pumping in more sponsorship millions in football than any other country in the world. It's way too fishy.

There's one big variable, nature blessed them with petroleum and natural gas which turned them from a poor pearl fishing country to one of the wealthiest nations. I would be more concerned that they are tainted with a not so normal democracy / bad human rights record and not knowing exactly if in the end it is the state's money or some sheik's personal fortune.
Not to mention that they have their hands inside the recent troubles in some north african / middle eastern arab countries which left some of them lawless.

I hate Qatar. But this is a move that every club with no investor has to take..

Bayernbazi wrote:

MUTU wrote: but with Qatar it's questionable. I don't understand how a country with a population of a mere 2 million (4x the population of Malta) has so many companies pumping in more sponsorship millions in football than any other country in the world. It's way too fishy.

There's one big variable, nature blessed them with petroleum and natural gas which turned them from a poor pearl fishing country to one of the wealthiest nations. I would be more concerned that they are tainted with a not so normal democracy / bad human rights record and not knowing exactly if in the end it is the state's money or some sheik's personal fortune.
Not to mention that they have their hands inside the recent troubles in some north african / middle eastern arab countries which left some of them lawless.

I still don't understand it though. For example, PSG are sponsored by some Qatar Tourism company. They're paid loads of millions. This kind of sponsorship raises the profile of Qatar and increases tourism, but to what extent? How many additional tourists could it possibly be bringing in to make it feasible to make millions?

MUTU wrote:

Bayernbazi wrote:

MUTU wrote: but with Qatar it's questionable. I don't understand how a country with a population of a mere 2 million (4x the population of Malta) has so many companies pumping in more sponsorship millions in football than any other country in the world. It's way too fishy.

There's one big variable, nature blessed them with petroleum and natural gas which turned them from a poor pearl fishing country to one of the wealthiest nations. I would be more concerned that they are tainted with a not so normal democracy / bad human rights record and not knowing exactly if in the end it is the state's money or some sheik's personal fortune.
Not to mention that they have their hands inside the recent troubles in some north african / middle eastern arab countries which left some of them lawless.

I still don't understand it though. For example, PSG are sponsored by some Qatar Tourism company. They're paid loads of millions. This kind of sponsorship raises the profile of Qatar and increases tourism, but to what extent? How many additional tourists could it possibly be bringing in to make it feasible to make millions?

A bit old but an interesting perspective about this strategy;
Show me the money: Gulf states secure place on world stage

MUTU wrote:I still don't understand it though. For example, PSG are sponsored by some Qatar Tourism company. They're paid loads of millions. This kind of sponsorship raises the profile of Qatar and increases tourism, but to what extent? How many additional tourists could it possibly be bringing in to make it feasible to make millions?

The county is small in size and population, but with a big-ass portion of natural resources. This automatically qualifies it as ultra-rich. In turn, this allowed them to develop mega-projects and put them nicely on the world's tourism map. These deals do affect tourism, but more importantly for them, it boosts their name as a leading country and gives them control beyond their borders. They don't want to be just rich. They want to be powerful. That's my personal view on their strategy. I can understand it, but I definitely have many question marks regarding the ways it's being achieved with. And there is corruption, of course, but I believe that applies to every single country/government in the world. Being neutral, a deal with Gazprom is exactly the same with a similar Qatari entity.

Meh...

Tedesco wrote:

New platinum partner: Doha Airport [source]

Meh...

lol that is as underwhelming as it could be.

Looks to me like Mo is the only one here with a cool head.

Although I'm not exactly ecstatic about Doha's airport showing up in Bayern's training kits, it is an sponsorship deal.

And sponsorship deals, funny enough, helps Bayern avoid having to resort to club ownership sale to gather funds and resources. None is selling its soul; it is just the "jacket".

ramsej84 wrote:

MUTU wrote:

MoFattal wrote:Man, no one is selling their souls here. The board is just getting (presumably) a sponsorship deal from an international financially-strong company (presumably). It doesn't have to be a Munich company. Otherwise, Bayern shouldn't be considering itself an international brand. If the location is what bothers you, then that's a political issue rather than a conceptual one.

Yes, it's the location that bothers me. My opinion is that Qatar has too much connotation with corruption and questionable ongoings. This is the kind of deal that raises eyebrows to neutral fans.

I would have had the same reaction if the deal was signed with a Russian Co.

I don't like it either. Qatar is not a country I think is a positive association to Bayern. The same with Russia and the like. But of course its better than Saudi Arabia. I really hope that that trip to Saudi Arabia last year was a fluke, because that was seriously f*¤ked up!

MUTU wrote:I wouldn't. I don't mind Schalke having Gazprom as main sponsors, for example. Russia is a big country and you can explain how certain money comes along, but with Qatar it's questionable. I don't understand how a country with a population of a mere 2 million (4x the population of Malta) has so many companies pumping in more sponsorship millions in football than any other country in the world. It's way too fishy.

Qatar has one of the largest reserves of gas in the world, and is home to the largest US military base abroad. Their all-out investment is a kind of life insurance, because in exchange of their security, the Gulf states must reinvest a large amount of their petrodollars into the western economy, this is the deal.

But we're talking private companies which to a certain extent don't have the economy of the country as one of the primary focuses.

There are no private companies from Qatar, everything is owned by the royal family.

Mundo Deportivo reports that Bayern will receive about 15 million euros annually to carry the logo of Hamad airport on the team's training kit.
The Journal director goes further by explaining that this deal will have a negative impact on Barça since the renewal of the partnership with Qatar Airways which expires in 2016 would no longer be on the agenda.

http://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/in ... unich.html