Venezia FC and GWM Launch Partnership as Automaker Expands Into Italy.

Roger Hampel

Image: Venezia FC

Venezia FC has signed Chinese automotive group GWM as its Official Automotive Sponsor and Official Back Sponsor for the 2026/27 season, linking one of the club's most visible commercial assets with the carmaker's entry into the Italian market.

Under the agreement, the GWM logo will appear on the back of Venezia's first-team match shirts across all official competitions, providing exposure throughout the club's return to Serie A.

The timing gives the partnership a clear business dimension. GWM is making its debut in Italy as part of its wider international expansion, while Venezia provides the company with an established sports platform through which to introduce its brand to Italian consumers.

GWM Takes Back-of-Shirt Rights Venezia

The back-of-shirt position represents the most prominent asset within the agreement.

GWM branding will feature on Venezia's first-team shirts across home and away fixtures and in all official competitions during the 2026/27 campaign.

The company will simultaneously hold the club's automotive sponsorship category. For Venezia, the deal adds another international company to its commercial portfolio at the start of a new Serie A season. For GWM, the sponsorship creates immediate consumer visibility as it establishes operations in Italy.

Football Partnership Supports GWM's Italian Market Entry

The partnership is closely connected with GWM's broader European expansion.

The Chinese automotive group has grown internationally in recent years and is now entering Italy, one of Europe's largest and most established automotive markets.

The Venezia agreement also gives GWM an association with a city whose international recognition extends far beyond football. Venice is one of Italy's most globally identifiable destinations and has longstanding commercial and cultural connections with Asia.

That combination of Serie A exposure and the international profile of Venice creates a distinctive entry point for a Chinese company building awareness in Italy.

Venezia Continues to Attract International Brands

The agreement also fits Venezia's positioning as an internationally oriented football property. The club has developed a brand with significant visibility outside its immediate sporting market, leveraging Venice itself as an important component of its identity across fashion, merchandise and commercial partnerships.

GWM adds an Asian automotive company to that portfolio at a time when Venezia is competing again at the highest level of Italian football. The return to Serie A increases the value of the shirt inventory through greater domestic and international media exposure, making the 2026/27 season an important commercial window for the club.

Executive Comments

Nicola Boscaro, Chief Revenue Officer of Venezia FC, said:

“We are delighted to welcome GWM to the orange-and-green family at a historic moment for our Club.”

Charles Zhao, Region General Manager South East Europe at GWM, said:

“It is both an honour and a significant milestone for us to begin this partnership as GWM enters the Italian market.”