Chelsea reveal new home shirt WITHOUT sponsor on Monday after U-turn with betting company Stake due to fan backlash as search continues to replace £40million a year contract
- Chelsea reveal their new shirt for the 2023/24 season without a sponsor
- The Blues pulled out of a deal with gambling firm Stake due to fan backlash
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Chelsea will unveil their new kit on Monday – with no sponsor on the front of the shirt.
The West London club will launch their range for 2023-24 and will not have a lead partner after bosses rejected an offer from betting company Stake.
As Mail Sport revealed, Chelsea had expected to sign a deal with Paramount+, but the Premier League had vetoed it. That decision left the bosses at Stamford Bridge in a difficult position as the clock ticked towards the new campaign.
A pleaded deal with Stake sparked criticism from fan groups and activists in the run-up to the upcoming ban on gambling companies to get ahead of shirt sponsorship. And club bosses decided not to accept the offer because they didn’t think it would be the right fit.
While talks are underway with other potential sponsors, it is clear that Chelsea’s top management have now decided to release the new Nike kit without a sponsor to avoid further delays.
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Chelsea will unveil their new shirt on Monday, but it will not feature the shirt sponsor’s front
The Blues pulled out of a deal with gambling firm Stake due to fan backlash
Fans can pre-order the shirt, which should be available by or shortly after the start of the new season. If they had waited for a sponsor to be found, it wouldn’t have happened.
In any case, it is unique that one of the ‘Big Six’ does not have a main sponsor on launch day. Chelsea officials were on the brink of a deal with Paramount+ for a substantial sum and were stunned when the Premier League refused their permission.
Wary of upsetting rights holders, league bosses ruled that such a link to the international streaming service – which does not broadcast Premier League matches in the UK – would not be allowed under the Deed of License, the contract between clubs and Premier League. Competition.
That decision forced Chelsea to look for an alternative. They spoke to a number of alternatives, including German financial services provider Allianz and Stake, an online casino and sports betting platform, which emerged as frontrunners. However, in the midst of a backlash, the bosses decided not to go through with that.
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