Chelsea fails to secure jersey sponsorship due to certain reasons

 Chelsea fails to secure jersey sponsorship due to certain reasons

Chelsea fails to secure jersey sponsorship(Image-Twitter)

That happened this season for the first time!

Chelsea is considered one of the "Big Six" clubs in the English Premier League. But for the new season, Chelsea is unable to find any sponsor for their jerseys. In the previous season, Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League, which has affected the interest of sponsors. 

According to British news outlet Mail Online, Chelsea has released their jerseys for the new season. However, the jerseys do not have any sponsor's name. In the past few seasons, Chelsea's jersey had a commercial partnership with mobile service provider Three Mobile. It is a major concern for Chelsea that they have been unable to find a new sponsor for the jerseys with only five weeks left before the start of the new season.

Chelsea's contract with Three Mobile has expired at the end of the previous season. The contract was lucrative, earning Chelsea £40 million per year. The club aims to secure a new deal worth at least £25 million per year with a new sponsor.

Discussions with both Paramount and Stake, two other companies, did not result in a contract extension for Chelsea. The betting company Stake's contract was not possible due to objections from the Premier League's broadcasting company.

Chelsea supporters have also opposed the commercial deal with a betting company. A survey revealed that 77% of the supporters do not want to see any betting company's logo on their favorite club's jersey.

Mail Online states that the betting company named Stake has investments from a Chinese gambling tycoon named Alvin Chow. Allegations of various criminal activities have been made against Chow. He is currently in prison. From the beginning of this year, a ban of 18 years has been imposed on him for involvement in illegal gambling and other criminal activities. From the 2025-26 season, the English Premier League authorities will prohibit the display of any betting company's logo on jerseys.

Chelsea's new owner, Todd Bowley, has planned to spend £60 million on player acquisitions this season. Therefore, a significant commercial deal is essential. At the end of the season, Chelsea sold several players, including Eduardo Mendy, Calidou Koulibaly, Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic, and Mason Mount. The club has also released Olivier Giroud and Fikayo Tomori.

For the new season, Chelsea has designed the jerseys resembling those of the 1990s. In the previous season, Arsenal and Chelsea had jerseys designed in the style of the 1990s. Chelsea's current jersey is a tribute to the 1997-98 season when the club won the League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.