DR Congo inked a $51 million shirt sponsorship deal with Spanish football giant FC Barcelona, its third such partnership this year to boost tourism.
The Central African nation has signed similar agreements in recent months with Italian giants AC Milan and the French league’s AS Monaco. The partnerships come amid ongoing conflict in the country’s east led by rebels backed by its neighbor Rwanda.
The partnerships, which will vary in terms of how DR Congo is featured on the teams’ jerseys, will champion its “Heart of Africa” tagline to promote tourism opportunities, including wildlife, cultural experiences, and landscape including its dense rainforests and volcanoes.
But the deals have already raised criticism from some of the clubs’ fan groups who are concerned about Kinshasa’s human rights record. In football circles, the Barcelona deal is being framed as a club desperate to raise funds in an increasingly expensive sport at a time of rising wages and transfer fees.
DR Congo follows in the steps of the much smaller Rwanda, which has inked key sponsorship deals with leading European clubs including London’s Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Paris St. Germain over the past few years. DR Congo spokespeople did not respond to Semafor’s enquiries.