Manchester United have the world’s most comprehensive training kit

Last Tuesday, Manchester United officially announced its agreement with the betting company Betway, which has thus become the sponsor of the training kit for Michael Carrick’s team, set to return to the Champions League. So far, nothing out of the ordinary, were it not for the all-time record sum that United will receive over the coming years: £20 million per season, equivalent to €23.3 million. As mentioned, and as emphasised by the English club itself, this is the highest sum ever paid to a football club by a company to sponsor its training kit.

Furthermore, the deal just signed with Betway circumvents the rule – unanimously approved by Premier League clubs – which prohibits sponsorship agreements with betting companies as main sponsors, but gives clubs a free hand when it comes to training kits and sleeve space on the shirt.

How do Italian clubs fare in comparison when it comes to this type of sponsorship? The big Serie A clubs earn a pittance from their training kit deals. Milan receives 7–8 million a year from Konami, owner of the eFootball brand. Inter’s deal with Qatar Airways amounts to just 5 million. Finally, for Juventus, it is more complicated to determine the fee for their training kit, as this forms part of the overall agreement with Allianz, which also holds the naming rights to the stadium. The latest agreement signed in 2020 between the parties, due to expire in 2030, provided for a total fee of 103.1 million over 10 years.

The gap that the Premier League has opened up over recent years compared with our Serie A is also evident when it comes to sponsorship.