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Man City figures left miffed by Man United’s expected Betway sponsorship deal
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Betway have been a City club partner since July 2024
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Some at City suggest Omar Berrada is taking his cue from his former employers
Some figures at Manchester City have been left frustrated by Manchester United’s expected sponsorship deal with Betway, a brand that has been a club partner at the Etihad Stadium since July 2024.
Betway became City’s official global betting and gaming partner in the summer of 2024, with the agreement having been announced by then-City Football Group chief executive Ferran Soriano as part of the betting firm’s expanding sports portfolio.
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The brand is now set to sponsor Manchester United‘s training kit in a deal reported to be worth around £20 million annually.
Manchester City announce new back of shirt sponsor to feature in domestic cup matches
The development has not gone unnoticed at the Etihad Stadium, with the timing and nature of United’s agreement having drawn a degree of irritation behind the scenes given Betway’s existing relationship with City.
Report: City frustrated as Berrada accused of following City’s lead
As per Samuel Luckhurst of Sun Sport, Manchester United‘s expected sponsorship deal with Betway has left some figures at Manchester City miffed, with the betting firm having been a City partner since July 2024.
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Some at City have suggested that United chief executive Omar Berrada is once again taking his cue from his former employers, with the Moroccan having spent years within City Football Group before his move across Manchester.
Berrada served as City’s chief football operations officer, overseeing the group’s network of clubs across five continents, before departing to become Manchester United’s chief executive in July 2024 following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment in the Old Trafford club.
The suggestion from within City is that United’s commercial strategy continues to mirror moves made by the reigning benchmark of the English game, with Berrada’s familiarity with City’s operations adding a pointed edge to the situation.
What is the wider context for the sponsorship row?
United’s Betway deal is understood to be one of the most lucrative training kit agreements in football history, arriving after a season in which the Red Devils operated without a training wear partner and amid the club’s ongoing efforts to grow commercial revenue.
Manchester City lose major sponsor after 11-year agreement in ‘cost-cutting measure’
The timing is also significant given Premier League regulations set to ban gambling companies from front-of-shirt sponsorship from the start of next season, with betting firms increasingly turning to training wear as an alternative avenue for visibility.
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For City, the frustration appears rooted less in the commercial specifics and more in the sense that a long-standing partner is now aligned with their cross-city rivals under the stewardship of a former senior figure at the club.
United, for their part, are unlikely to be overly concerned by the reaction across Manchester, with the deal representing a notable victory for a commercial department working to rebuild the club’s financial standing under Ratcliffe and Berrada.
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