FNB signs on as first national supporter for 2010 World Cup

First National Bank, already an investor in South African football, announced it will sponsor the 2010 World Cup for US 30 million.

FNB is the first South African corporation to sign on as a national supporter of the 2010 World Cup.

FNB will also be FIFA's official South African bank for the event, which is being staged in Africa for the first time.

The announcement was made on the eve of the unveiling of the official emblem of the 2010 World Cup, which marks the launch of FIFA's four-year Win in Africa with Africa campaign.

"This deal marks an important moment on our joint journey to the first FIFA World Cup on African soil," FIFA President Sepp Blatter said. "The fact that FNB, a renowned South African company, has joined the sponsor family of the 2010 FIFA World Cup shows yet again how much the event is supported by the South African economy. We are looking forward to a successful relationship."

FNB takes on the role of the official bank of the 2010 World Cup, and will provide commercial and corporate transactions, foreign-exchanges and on- and off-site ATMs at various locations serving the two FIFA competitions in South Africa – the 2010 World Cup itself and the 2009 Confederations Cup.

The sponsorship comes with a package of advertising, promotional and marketing rights for both competitions in the financial-products category within South Africa .

"From a national perspective, FNB's involvement in the 2010 FIFA World Cup will contribute to ongoing national efforts to grow South Africa's economy and at the same time represents a major contribution to this unprecedented nation-building exercise," said FNB CEO Michael Jordaan, speaking from Germany where the 2006 World Cup is currently taking place.

FNB added that speculation that South Africa could lose its host status to Australia due to inadequate preparations could not have come at a more inappropriate time for the country, fuelling the "nay-sayers" who lacked confidence in South Africa's ability to successfully host an event that regularly is referred to as a the greatest show on earth.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter affirmed earlier this week that the 2010 competition will be held in South Africa, with the chief executive of the Local Organising Committee, Danny Jordaan, claiming the nation was ahead of schedule with its preparation for the tournament.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.