German soccer club 1860 Munich has secured a new sponsor in advance of next season, in a deal negotiated by IMG.

Liqui Moly, the German company which specialises in oils and lubricants, backed the second-tier team between 2002 and 2005, during which time it was relegated from the top flight of German soccer. It has yet to return, and has spent recent years battling financial crisis.

The club, which won the Bundesliga for the only time in 1966, sold its 50 per cent share of the Allianz Arena, one of the most famous stadiums in world soccer, to Bayern Munich in 2006 in order to avoid bankruptcy.

The team raised around US$3 million earlier this month by selling highly rated Under-21 international Fabian Johnson to Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg.