Carlsberg Breweries is the first official sponsor of the European Championship in Portugal 2004. The contract signed today by the President of UEFA, Lennart Johansson and CEO of Carlsberg Breweries, Nils S. Andersen, cements one of the longest partnerships in world football dating back to the 1988 tournament and set to continue into the European Championship of 2008.
"The European Championship is one of the biggest events in sport and we are pleased to have the support of a world recognised brand such as Carlsberg",said Lennart Johansson, President of UEFA. "Carlsberg has a long heritage as part of the game and their partnership with UEFA going back to 1988 has been to the benefit of the long-term future of European football."
"Football is an integral part of the Carlsberg brand",said Nils S. Andersen CEO of Carlsberg Breweries. "We are committed to the world's favourite game and hope that this investment re-iterates our continued support for football at all levels from the grass-roots to the ultimate competition in Europe."
Dr Gilberto Madail, President of the Portuguese FA welcomed the deal: "It gives me great pleasure to welcome Carlsberg as the first official partner of EURO 2004 in Portugal. I'm sure Carlsberg are proud to be associated with what will be a colourful, exciting and successful championship in the summer of 2004."
Carlsberg Breweries has been a major supporter of Championships including EURO'88 in Germany, the 1992 Finals in Sweden, England's EURO 1996 tournament and EURO 2000 in Holland and Belgium, in what many observers across Europe considered to be the most exciting competition of football in several decades.
"EURO 2000 re-energised football at an international level and was a spectacle for both players and fans, "commented Keld Strudahl, International Marketing Manager of Carlsberg Breweries. "I believe that the combination of world class stadiums, great players and the enthusiasm of our Portuguese hosts will make this into another tournament to remember. For Carlsberg Breweries this represents our desire to be one of the biggest supporters in the game and is a major indicator of our long-term commitment to football."
Carlsberg beer will become the 'Official Beer to EURO 2004 and 2008'. The core rights package will include perimeter signage across 31 matches, sole and exclusive display rights and broadcast sponsorship coupled with commercial airtime. Added to this, will be the opportunity to develop premium products, Internet rights through official sites and on-site branding and activity throughout the tournament. Carlsberg beer is brewed locally in Portugal by UNICER.
Carlsberg Breweries expects the sponsorship to mirror EURO 2000, considered the most successful activity for the brand on a global basis, resulting in an 11 per cent increase in sales over the period and a 5.4 per cent rise in annual trade. The Championships were broadcast in over 200 countries delivering exposure to a cumulative TV audience of 7 billion.
The brand's involvement in football started as long ago as 1978 when with continued sponsorship and investment the Danish football league became professional. Danish football emerged onto the global football scene in spectacular fashion, when the national team overcame all the doubters, casting to one side their underdog tag to beat Germany and lift the European Championship trophy in 1992.
Since, Carlsberg Breweries has been a supporter of prestigious tournaments of football on a global basis. From the World Cup of 1990 in Italy, Champions League in 1993 and 1994 to their current sponsorships of the UEFA Cup and Super Cup, Carlsberg has been consistently part of the game of football.
This is reflected on a club level through its long-running association with one of the world's greatest clubs Liverpool. In the UK, one of the key markets, Carlsberg Breweries is also a sponsor of Hibernians, England and the FA. In Ireland, sponsor of the Irish national team and Carlsberg Denmark is a sponsor of FC Copenhagen and OB.
Carlsberg Breweries is a supporter of the game at all levels as shown by International Pub Cup, a competition for local pub and bar teams with teams from over 7 countries, competing at the venues of their heroes such as Gelodome in Arnhem; Parken Stadium in Copenhagen; Nya Ullevi in Gothenburg; Wembley in London; and Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
For further information or photography, please contact:
Ketchum Sports Network
Steve Martin
+447768022108/+44207 611 3604
Simon Oliveira
+447775 740 419/+44207 611 3621
Carlsberg Breweries
Keld Strudahl
+ 45 3327 4555
Margrethe Skov
+45 3327 1410