Bayern Munich becomes the third European Club to enter a partnership with Visit Rwanda.
Rwanda has entered yet another sponsorship deal with a mega European club, this time shifting interests to the Germany Bundesliga, where a partnership has been entered into by Visit Rwanda and Bayern Munich, one of the biggest football clubs in the world.
Both Visit Rwanda and Bayern Munich are yet to officially announce the deal but details of the partnership have emerged. The six-time European champions become the third big club to enter a partnership with “Visit Rwanda”, following in the footsteps of French giants Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and English side Arsenal.
The development comes six months after President Paul Kagame said that Rwanda would consider entering a new partnership with another European club because the initial two shirt sponsorship deals with Arsenal and PSG had paid off but did not specify which club, league or country.
“It surpasses by far what we invested in this partnership ourselves. We invested something in the partnership and getting more, by a big factor,” President Kagame said during a press conference on March 1.
“We are having another one coming up with another famous football team. When you see us going after one after another we know what we are pursuing, and that’s not to lose money,” President Kagame said when asked whether Rwanda was getting dividends from sponsorship deals with Arsenal and PSG.
For sometime it had been rumoured that it was the German champions but neither did Rwanda Development Board (RDB), which is behind the “Visit Rwanda” brand, nor the Bavarian side confirmed the development.
Details seen by KT Press however show that unlike the first two sponsorship deals with Arsenal and PSG, which involved emblazoning “Visit Rwanda” on shirts or sleeves, the latest partnership with Bayern Munich mainly focuses on football development more than anything else.
Here is what we know about the “Unique Partnership”
Under the signed deal, Visit Rwanda becomes a “platinum partner” of Bayern Munich Football Club, with the former becoming the “Official Tourism partner for East, Central & Southern Africa.”
A statement seen by KT Press indicates that “for five seasons, the FC Bayern community and the world will have a unique opportunity to experience Rwanda’s breath-taking beauty, creative culture, innovative environment and economic transformation.”
Additionally, the European giants club will display Visit Rwanda branding on matchday LED boards at the club’s 70,000-seater Allianz Arena and different activities will be organized to promote tourism and investment opportunities in Rwanda.
The partnership will also convey Rwanda’s openness to welcome business partnerships from Germany and across the world.
According to reports, the sponsorship will focus on football development at elite and grassroots level, including opening an academy and hosting coaching camps in Rwanda to support the development of the game for boys and girls in the country.
FC Bayern will also work with the Rwanda Ministry of Sports and Football Federation to support the development of the game.
