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Roger Hampel Image: Manchester City Manchester City will return to Hong Kong in summer 2026 as part of its pre-season preparations, using the tour to reinforce its presence in Asia and activate key commercial partnerships. The visit marks the club’s first trip to Hong Kong since 2019 and forms part of a broader strategy to engage with international fanbases through high-profile fixtures and event-led activations. Pre-Season Fixture Anchored in Major Event Platform Manchester

Roger Hampel Image: SSC Napoli SSC Napoli has signed trading platform XTB as its new Global Trading Partner, adding a fintech brand to its international sponsorship portfolio as the club continues to expand its commercial strategy beyond traditional sectors. The agreement covers the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons and introduces XTB across digital platforms, matchday environments and fan-focused activations. Multi-Channel Activation Across Digital and Matchday Platforms Napoli Th

Roger Hampel Image: Juventus Juventus has continued its international activation strategy in China with a three-day event series in Chengdu, combining brand experience, fan engagement and grassroots football initiatives. The programme builds on previous activities in Shanghai and reflects a structured approach to maintaining visibility in one of football’s most commercially important global markets. Multi-Layered Activation in a Key Commercial District Juventus The central co

Roger Hampel Image: UE Cornellà Lionel Messi has acquired Spanish club UE Cornellà, marking his entry into football ownership through a project centred on youth development, local identity and long-term growth. The move places the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner among a growing group of active and former players investing directly in club structures, with a focus on building sustainable football projects rather than short-term competitive gains. Entry Into Ownership Through a..

Roger Hampel Image: AC Milan AC Milan has renewed its international partnership with Corpay, with the company’s Cross-Border division continuing as the club’s Official Commercial Foreign Exchange Partner. The extension highlights the growing importance of financial services partnerships in football, where clubs increasingly rely on specialised providers to manage cross-border payments, currency exposure and international operations. Financial Services as a Strategic Layer in

Roger Hampel Image: Juventus Juventus has confirmed its return to Australia as part of the Juventus Summer Tour powered by Jeep, using its pre-season programme to strengthen international presence and activate commercial partnerships in a key growth market. The tour will include two matches in Perth against Inter and Palermo, forming part of a broader initiative that combines football, fan engagement and brand activation across the Asia-Pacific region. Australia as a Strategi

Roger Hampel CFO Nuno Catarino | Image: Francisco Paraíso / SL Benfica Benfica has reported a consolidated profit of €29 million for the first half of the 2025/26 financial year, with the club’s CFO Nuno Catarino highlighting strong recurring performance, record membership income and record merchandising revenue as key drivers of the result. Speaking in an interview with club media , Catarino framed the numbers as evidence of a healthier and more resilient operating structur

Roger Hampel Image: Real Betis Real Betis has signed Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix as its Official Timekeeping Partner, adding a luxury brand to its sponsorship portfolio as the club continues to expand its international commercial positioning. The agreement covers the remainder of the 2025/26 season and the full 2026/27 campaign, introducing a partnership that combines brand visibility with matchday activation and fan-focused experiences. Matchday Activation as a Key Enga

Roger Hampel Image: DFB The German Football Association (DFB) will open the German House of Soccer in New York during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, creating a large-scale activation space designed to showcase German football culture to a global audience. Located in Manhattan, the project reflects a broader strategy among federations to build physical fan and partner hubs in key host cities, extending engagement beyond stadiums and official tournament venues. A Central Hub for Fans

Roger Hampel Image: RB Leipzig RB Leipzig has launched a new feature within its official club app, allowing season ticket holders to track their match attendance and monitor progress toward minimum usage requirements. The update reflects a growing focus among clubs on digital tools that support ticketing management, fan engagement and data visibility across the matchday experience. Digital Tracking of Season Ticket Usage RB Leipzig The new feature provides supporters with a c

Roger Hampel Image: Como 1907 Como 1907 has announced a new partnership with EA SPORTS FC, positioning gaming as a key component of its broader fan engagement and digital strategy. The agreement, facilitated through European Football Clubs, reflects a growing trend in football where clubs integrate video games into their commercial and community ecosystems to reach audiences beyond traditional matchday environments. Gaming as a Core Fan Engagement Channel Como 1907 The partne

Roger Hampel Image: Sebastien LE DEROUT, Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille has introduced a new club logo and visual identity, marking a strategic update designed to align heritage with contemporary brand requirements across sport, media and commercial platforms. The rebranding reflects a broader effort to create a more adaptable and unified visual system, capable of operating across multiple touchpoints including matchday, digital environments and global merchand

Roger Hampel Image: AFC Ajax Media LASK has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with AFC Ajax, integrating the Austrian club into Ajax’s international partner network and aligning its development model with one of Europe’s most established academies. The agreement centres on knowledge exchange, player development and scouting collaboration, positioning the partnership as both a sporting and organisational growth platform. Integration Into Ajax’s Global Development

Roger Hampel Image: Sunderland AFC Sunderland AFC has reached an agreement for Bay Collective to acquire a majority stake in Sunderland AFC Women, marking a significant investment move within the growing women’s football ecosystem. The transaction positions Sunderland Women within a multi-club ownership structure focused exclusively on the development of women’s football, reflecting a broader trend of specialised investment platforms entering the sector. Multi-Club Model Focu

Roger Hampel Image: Borussia Dortmund Borussia Dortmund has launched the BVB World Street Series, a global activation platform built around street football, with its 2026 event taking place in Los Angeles. Developed in partnership with Street Soccer USA and supported by LA Galaxy, the initiative reflects a structured effort to combine brand expansion, community engagement and grassroots football development in key international markets. Los Angeles Event Borussia Dortmund The

Roger Hampel Image: Inter Milan Inter has announced the launch of its first Inter Academy Camp in Romania, marking the club’s entry into a new market as part of its international youth development strategy. The initiative extends Inter’s academy model into Eastern Europe, using short-term training programmes to build local presence, engage young players and strengthen the club’s global footprint. Entering a New Market Through Academy Programmes Inter Milan The Romania launch

Roger Hampel Image: Sunderland AFC Sunderland AFC has announced the launch of its first “Made in Sunderland Week”, a club-wide initiative developed in partnership with the University of Sunderland to highlight the city’s identity, culture and local ecosystem. A City-Led Campaign Built Around Local Identity Sunderland AFC Scheduled for April 2026, the week-long programme will culminate in a home fixture at the Stadium of Light against Nottingham Forest, where matchday activiti

Roger Hampel Image: Górnik Zabrze Górnik Zabrze has signed a long-term agreement with Reebok, naming the global sportswear brand as its new technical partner from the start of the 2026/27 season. Full-Scope Technical Partnership Across Club Structure Under the agreement, Reebok will be responsible for supplying match kits, training gear and off-field apparel across multiple levels of the club. This includes the first team, coaching staff, academy and broader club operations,

Roger Hampel Image: FC Porto FC Porto will return to Rock in Rio Lisboa in 2026, reinforcing its strategy of expanding brand visibility through participation in large-scale cultural and entertainment events. Following its debut at the festival, which marked the club’s first appearance at a major event outside northern Portugal, the return signals a continued focus on reaching broader audiences across the country. Football Brand Activation in a Non-Sport Environment FC Porto R

Roger Hampel Image: Aston Villa Aston Villa has reported revenue of £378.1 million for the financial year ending June 30, 2025, alongside a return to profitability, reflecting the combined impact of European competition and long-term strategic investment across the club’s operations. The results mark a significant improvement compared to the previous financial year, highlighting both commercial growth and structural changes within the club’s business model. Revenue Growth Dri