Why does Chelsea’s new shirt have no sponsor for the team?
This season, Chelsea intend to have a front-of-shirt sponsor, but it is now likely they will take part in their pre-season tour of the United States without one.
Nottingham Forest didn’t have a sponsor on their shirts when they began last season. This does, however, highlight the complexity of these transactions.
Paramount+ was Chelsea’s first choice. The Premier League, however, ruled that out because current broadcasters would be uncomfortable with a club signing up with a competitor.
Chelsea continued to look for alternatives, but felt it was important to release the kit in August so fans could buy it.
For the 2023-24 season, Chelsea have released a new home shirt inspired by the 1997-98 Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup winning team.
According to the club’s website, external, the shirt will initially be released without a sponsor. If and when a sponsorship deal is struck, the kit will be changed.
A deal with streaming service Paramount+ was blocked by the Premier League because it would have violated the league’s licensing agreement, and Blues fans opposed having a gambling brand on the kit.
“The new design for ’23-24 recalls that special past while gold details, including an iridescent crest, reflect the glamour and prestige of the famous King’s Road in the 1990s,” said the club.
This shirt is decorated with a lion roaring in gold, a symbol of Chelsea’s prestige and history.
In order to make a quick impact at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino says he is not giving players the chance to waste time.
Blues are looking to rebuild after a disastrous season that saw four managers take control – either temporarily or permanently – and ended with a lowest-ever 12th-place finish in the Premier League.
In his first news conference as Chelsea’s manager, Pochettino said: “Football isn’t about patience. You can’t ask for time at a club like Chelsea, you have to perform from day one.”
As soon as we start, we should give our best effort. I won’t give players an opportunity to waste time.
“We will have a squad that can deliver.”
It was four years ago that he last managed a Premier League team, Tottenham Hotspur, with whom he reached the Champions League final before spending 18 months at Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite his Spurs connections, he believes success on the pitch will make him popular with his new fans.
Pochettino said, “I know I need to build a relationship with the fans, they know me because of my past.”
There will be a big difference in how we approach the game. The team needs to be aggressive and engage with the fans to be successful.
Our team can compete and beat these amazing teams, like Manchester City and Liverpool, if we create something special and the fans feel it. If we are all working together, then we can compete and beat them.
Asked if he must prove himself again upon his return to the Premier League, he replied: “Always. This is our motivation.”.
The desire to prove ourselves right every day is part of our nature. We are competitive and we strive to do better every day.”.
Experience makes a better manager. I’m better coach and person after my experience outside of the Premier League.”