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Matthew Glendinning
BMW Group Belux has extended its sponsorship of the Belgian FA for the next four years, from 2020-21 to 2023-24.
The German luxury car brand has been a sponsor of the the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) since 2012.
BMW will support Belgium’s national men’s team, known as the ‘Red Devils’, the women’s national team, known as the ‘Belgian Red Flames’, and national youth-level teams.
Peter Bossaert, chief executive of the RBFA, said BMW was a ‘loyal partner’ who came on board when Belgium’s national teams had yet to reach their current status in world football.
Belgium’s men’s team reached the semi-final stage of the 2018 World Cup, and is currently ranked number one in the world by Fifa, with the women’s team ranked 17th in the world.
Bossaert said it was important for the federation to work with partners who shared its values. He said: “That is completely the case with BMW. BMW is a ‘triple-A’ brand, which provides value to each of its stakeholders by prioritising authenticity, accountability and activation.”
Separately, the RBFA announced the next step in the development of women’s club football in the country with the unveiling of a revamped Women’s Super League.
From 2020-21, 10 women’s teams will compete in the league, instead of six, in a new format which includes play-offs.
The expansion will include the sale of rights for a Women’s Super League title sponsor, with the revenue generated from the deal to be distributed equally among the clubs to invest in coaching.
The RBFA said there were four objectives aligned with the new Super League: to build stronger competition; to ensure Belgian clubs can compete at international level; to inspire young football players; and to offer more opportunities for young Belgian talent to develop at a high level close to home. – xinhuanet.com
Bongani Ndlovu