Barcelona extend sponsorship agreement with Rakuten until 2022

FC Barcelona have extended their sponsorship agreement with main sponsor Rakuten by an additional year, the club announced on Friday. 

Rakuten have been Barça's principal partner since 2017 and appear on the front of the club's shirt as well as around the Camp Nou stadium. 

The agreement was for four years but there was an option to extend it by an additional year and, despite the global coronavirus pandemic, that option has been triggered. 

"FC Barcelona and Rakuten, Inc., a global leader in internet services headquartered in Japan, decided on October 9, 2020, to exercise the option included in the original agreement launched in 2017 to extend their partnership for an additional season, once the initial term of the contract expires on June 30, 2021," a statement read Friday. 

"This means that Barça and Rakuten are reaffirming their alliance at a time marked by the social and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, extending the partnership to June 30, 2022.

"It also means that Rakuten will remain as FC Barcelona’s Main Global Partner and Global Innovation and Entertainment Partner, and its brand name will continue to appear on the front of the first team shirt in the 2021/22 season.

"The assets included in the extension will be optimized to be more suitable and aligned to the circumstances of the post-pandemic era. 

"The decision to extend the partnership reflects how FC Barcelona and Rakuten are reasserting their mutual trust and desire to continue working together on new and innovative programs with global impact in the future, like those that have already defined their relationship over the last three years and have helped to position and consolidate their respective brand presences in key international markets."