Atletico Madrid are getting closer to a new deal for the naming rights of their stadium after five years of being sponsored by Wanda.
The Metropolitano, which bore the name of Chinese conglomerate Wanda for it’s inaugural five years, will definitely have a different sponsor after the Wanda group informed Atletico Madrid they wouldn’t be extending their deal.
There appears to have been a breakthrough in negotiations though. According to Mundo Deportivo, Civitas are set to become the new sponsor. The Civitas group hail from Extremadura and cover a variety of activities, chiefly construction and estate agency. As it happens, Civitas are likely to be involved in building a new training centre for Atleti next to the Metropolitano.
As the article points out, Los Colchoneros are still to find a new sponsor for their shirts too. Plusnet 500 will cease to be on the kit from next season and Whalefin, a cryptocurrency firm, are best placed to take over.
As a brand, Atleti will be able to take some measurement of their growth from the naming rights of the stadium. Previously taking in €10m per year, Atleti will surely aim for something similar, which given the effects of the pandemic, may represent success.
