Castrol,
Continental and Johnson & Johnson all quit as pressure mounts on president
The Telegraph, Ben Rumsby, 22 Jan 2015
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| Under pressure: Three more top-tier companies have ended their multi-million pound deals with Fifa Photo: AFP |
Three of
Fifa’s biggest sponsors on Thursday night revealed they had joined Sony and
Emirates in abandoning football’s beleaguered world governing body.
Castrol,
Continental and Johnson & Johnson all confirmed to Telegraph Sport that
they had severed their ties with the Sepp Blatter regime when their contracts
expired last year – which proved to be among the most turbulent 12 months in
its scandal-hit history.
The
withdrawal of support from five of the world’s most recognisable brands
represents a huge blow to the finances of Fifa, which nets around £1 billion
from its commercial partners every four years.
None of the
five sponsors in question has openly cited its numerous crises as being a
reason for walking away, but the departure of so many in quick succession
inevitably raises questions about whether Fifa has become toxic.
Sony was
one of a number of its commercial backers to express concerns about allegations
of wrong-doing around the award of the next two World Cups shortly before last
summer’s tournament in Brazil.
The news
that the electronics giant and Emirates would not be renewing their contracts
as Fifa partners – the highest tier in its portfolio of sponsors – emerged
while it was embroiled in a civil war over its inquiry into that scandal.
In that,
its chief investigator quit in protest at attempts to suppress his findings,
which Fifa was forced into agreeing to make public when its probe is finally
concluded.
Emirates
had long since decided not to renew its deal, revealing its reasons in a
statement in November.
But
Castrol, Continental and Johnson & Johnson – who were second-tier official
World Cup sponsors – slipped away more quietly, each only confirming their
departure when contacted by The Daily Telegraph.
Four of the
five brands had long-term deals with Fifa, with Emirates and Continental’s
involvement pre-dating the 2006 World Cup and that of Sony and Castrol starting
before the 2010 tournament.
Castrol
confirmed it was no longer a sponsor after being accused of failing to respond
to a letter sent to it by New Fifa Now, a campaign aiming to impose reform on
Fifa by putting pressure on those who bankroll it.
That first
organised movement of its kind – which staged its official launch on Wednesday
at the European Parliament in Brussels – is fronted by Conservative MP Damian
Collins.
Responding
to news that so many sponsors had abandoned Fifa, he said on Thursday night:
“Fifa is a toxic brand. I think that’s why companies who care about their
reputation don’t want to be associated with [it].
“That means
they in turn must feel their customers, who would include football fans around
the world, don’t want them to be associated with Fifa either.
“So I would
call on all Fifa sponsors to reconsider their association with Fifa and call on
football fans and the customers of those brands to speak out against them
continuing any sponsorship association as well.”
Confirming
its departure, Castrol wrote in an email exchange with The Daily Telegraph: “We
have not been sponsors of Fifa since, I believe, the World Cup last year.” It
did not elaborate on its reasons for not renewing its contract.
A spokesman
for Johnson & Johnson said of its own exit: “It was a decision that was
made for business reasons after a comprehensive review.”
Continental
also said it had re-evaluated its sponsorship goals following its third
successive World Cup, a spokesman adding: “It was a great platform for us and
now we’re using football on a regionalised level.”
Fifa’s
recent travails have failed to deter a number of its backers from renewing
their contracts, while it secured energy giant Gazprom in 2013 as an official
partner for the next World Cup in Russia.
A similarly
parochial imperative is expected to lead to Qatar Airways replacing Emirates
for that tournament and the next in its home country in 2022.
As well as
writing to Castrol to enlist its support, New Fifa Now also contacted Fifa
partners Coca-Cola, Adidas and Visa, and World Cup sponsor McDonald’s.
None
responded to requests for comment from The Daily Telegraph on the movement’s
claims that they, too, had failed to respond to its letter.
New Fifa
Now will step up its campaign on Friday when sportswear manufacturer Skins, the
chairman of which is one of movement’s founders, announces itself as Fifa’s
first ‘official non-sponsor’.
It will stage
a mock sponsorship activation on the website www.officialnonsponsor.com and has
taken out a full-page advert in Blatter’s local Swiss newspaper tomorrow.
Skins
chairman Jaimie Fuller said: “I’m delighted this ongoing non-deal highlights
all the values we don’t share with Fifa.
“It is an
exciting non-association which will shine a light on the organisation’s
unprogressive stance, discredited values and all round non-integrity.” He
added: “This anti-Fifa stance is intended to be fun and engaging but it carries
a very serious message in support of newfifanow.org.
“We’re
subverting traditional sponsorship activities to make a very clear statement,
‘Sepp, we just want football back’.”
The launch
of New Fifa Now has been timed to coincide with Fifa’s presidential election
campaign, which will kick off after next Thursday’s deadline for nominations.
Blatter is
facing potential challenges from several quarters, although only Fifa
vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan appears in a position to
obtain the endorsement of five national associations, which is required for
candidates to be eligible to stand.
Former Fifa
executive Jérôme Champagne has resorted to pleading for the necessary
nominations, while the former head of the governing body’s technical committee,
Harold Mayne-Nicholls, has yet to decide whether to stand.
David
Ginola is still trying to recover from disastrous campaign launch a week ago at
which the revelation he was being paid £250,000 by a well-known bookmaker to
run undermined the credibility of his bid.
However, it
was said on Thursday that he had secured an audience with Uefa president Michel
Platini, his former national team manager with France, who has long been
expected to endorse Prince Ali as his preferred Fifa presidency candidate.
Commercial
break: Five official partners who have called it quits
Sony:
Signed a £160 million contract in 2005 as one of Fifa’s first 'partners’ after
it revamped its sponsorship portfolio. Seven-year deal began in 2007, after
Philips’ link with Fifa ended.
Johnson
& Johnson: Signed in 2011 for one World Cup as Brazil tournament’s official
health care sponsor. Decided against renewing deal for Russia 2018 or beyond.
Castrol:
Joined the Fifa family in 2008 in a deal described as the biggest in its
100-year history. A World Cup sponsor, it signed on until after the 2014
tournament.
Continental:
Commercial backer of Fifa since 2003, tyre company took up option of becoming
World Cup sponsor ahead of 2010 event, with option to extend to 2014.
Emirates:
Became sponsor at 2006 World Cup before getting partner status. Decided not to
continue beyond 2014, as terms “did not meet expectations”.
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