Barcelona offers Nou Camp naming rights to combat COVID-19

Barcelona has revealed that it will sell the title rights to the Nou Camp for the first time in its existence in order to raise money for COVID-19 research projects.

The season-long deal will be dealt by the Barça Foundation through the club’s Commercial Area with the process of finding a sponsor for the stadium starting immediately. 

All of the revenue garnered by the agreement will be donated to projects selected by a new management committee which features a variety of club members.

Jordi Cardoner, Vice President of FC Barcelona and of the Barça Foundation stated: “We are very happy to be able to drive forward this initiative that offers something as emblematic as the name of our stadium, so that institutions, organisations, businesses who wise may associate themselves with it and as such, contribute to the fight against COVID-19, given that their investment will used to finance research projects on the illness and projects that are working to eradicate or lessen its effects.

“Right now, we can quantify the effects of this health crisis but what we do know is that it will require all our resources to defeat it and for that reason it is so important that we all together make a solid, firm commitment.

“We are facing a global crisis without precedent in our modern history and we have to assume with courage and calm the responsibility that we have. For that reason, from both the Club and the Foundation, we consider it vital at this time of humanitarian crisis to use all the resources available at the organisation to fight against the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences. It forms part of our way of doing things and of being as an institution.”

It has been announced that the stadium will still maintain the name ‘Nou Camp’ with the sponsor becoming an addition to the title. Nevertheless, Barcelona becomes the first major European club to sell its facilities in order to help combat the spread of the virus.

Cardoner added: “The cause, fighting against the coronavirus, is a global one. Being the top sporting entity on a world scale implies that we take on this challenge as fully as we can and if we can serve as inspiration for other organisations involved in the battle, perhaps we can create a wave of hope for millions of people around the world who are suffering due to this pandemic.”

A multitude of football clubs and players have committed to funding various charities and projects related to the coronavirus, including Premier League players uniting to create a NHS fund and various sides creating fundraising events for non-profit organisations.