Clubs and their Sponsors - Part 1

By: Bruno Romani | August 12th, 2007

For those who watch International leagues, sometimes you wonder what kind of sponsors those clubs have. Big clubs have big and reconizable brands following them, but what about smaller sides? In Brazil, health insurance companies, hotels, home appliances stores, and many other types of business literally fight for space on the jerseys of clubs spread in the country. They help the clubs to survive, but the visual mess they cause finds no excuse.

I decided to explain to you, dear foreigner fan of Brazilian football, the sponsors of the clubs in the second division. This is the first post of a series of 4.

Avaí:

The main on is Pauta Distribuidora, which is like a Best Buys from Southern Brazil. They also have in the back Unimed, famous helath insurance company. The pic here does not show the third sponsor: Cecontur Executive Hotel, a hotel in Floripa.

Barueri:

The main one is Embratel, the main Brazilian telephone provider. “Faz um 21″ is a slogan that the company has had for many years, inviting people to dial 21, the company’s number, before making long distance calls. On the red portion is Bourbon Alphaville, a hotel in the suburb of São Paulo that belongs to the chain Bourbon Resorts e Hotéis. On the sleeves and shorts is Avimed, a health insurance company. Finally, in the back of the jerseys is Ibi, a financial institution. The pic shows Baureri’s away jersey.

Brasiliense:

Probably the ugliest jersey on Brazilian football, Brasiliense has two sponsors on the chest, squeezing the club’s symbol between them. On the top, they have Ok Automóveis, a store that trades used and new cars. On the bottom, they have Banco de Brasília, a bank that smells like corruption from far away.

Ceará:

Ceará has as the main sponsor Rabelo, a northeastern chain of stores that sell home and electrical appliances that belongs to João Rabelo, brother of Eugênio Rabelo, president of the club. Right below, the japanese brand of TV sets and VCR’s Semp Toshiba. On the sleeves is Consorcio Nacional Embracon, a company that sells cars and motorcycles in a paying-system very popular in Brazil named “consórcio,” which consumers organized in groups by the company buy many goods at the same time, share the expenses, and keep paying the installments until every member gets a desired good.

Coritiba:

Coritiba changed its sponsors in the middle of the season. On the sleeves now is Vale Fértil, a brand of olives. In the back is Zetex Eletrônicos, a brand of DVD, CD, MP3 players and others that belong to a company named Mastercorp (company that imports and distributes eletronic goods). Really like this one.