Why are Chelsea playing without shirt sponsor in their Premier League opening game against Manchester City?
Chelsea opened their Premier League campaign with a fixture against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on August 18. However, they notably took to the pitch without a front-of-shirt sponsor on players' jerseys.
The Blues are currently without a sponsor after their one-year deal with Infinite Athlete came to an end. The deal was signed for the 2023-24 season and the recently concluded pre-season. Afterwards, the sponsors decided against renewing or extending their deal, worth £40 million, with the club.
Chelsea signed a one-year deal with Infinite Athlete last year, in the hopes that they would secure Champions League qualification. According to the Athletic (via iNews), securing a long-term sponsor would have been easier if they were a part of Europe's elite club competition.
However, they finished sixth in the Premier League last season, missing out on the Champions League as a result. They will compete in the Conference League this season if they can get past Swiss club Servette in the qualifier on Thursday, August 22.
According to the report, Riyadh Air are in talks with the Blues to become their new front-of-shirt sponsors. However, there is a gap in the two parties' valuation at the moment.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca on the expectations of the club hierarchy
According to reports, securing UEFA Champions League qualification will be important for Chelsea in negotiating sponsorship agreements. However, manager Enzo Maresca has claimed that the expectations from the club hierarchy are very different.
Asked about the work he has undertaken at Stamford Bridge, Maresca made it clear that there was no pressure to finish in the top-four this season. Speaking to reporters, the former Leicester City manager said (via GOAL):
"What I can say is that nobody from the club asked me for the Champions League this year. Nobody said that we need to finish in the first four. What they said is that we need to step-by-step arrive and compete."
"If you ask me, my dream is to compete with the teams that at this moment are dominating English football. A very good target already [is] when the owner, sporting directors, the managers and players all have the same idea we are going in the same direction."
Chelsea started their 2024-25 campaign with a 2-0 loss against reigning champions Manchester City, thanks to goals from Erling Haaland (18') and Mateo Kovacic (84').