More solar investment for German soccer

12 July 2011 | Posted in Sponsorship, Soccer, Europe | By Michael Long

German soccer club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim has become the latest Bundesliga side to announce a multi-million euro sponsorship deal with a solar energy company, after agreeing a three-year deal with Chinese firm Suntech Power.

The agreement sees the world’s largest producer of solar panels become the club’s main and shirt sponsor until 2014, with an option to extend further, and, according to sponsors.de, is worth a significant seven-figure sum per year.

"Suntech is the market leader in a future-oriented industry,” said TSG 1899 Hoffenheim chief executive Jochen A. Rotthaus. “Solar energy will occupy us in the coming years, and we are proud and delighted that Suntech chose to cooperate with 1899 Hoffenheim.”

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Dietmar Hopp, chairman of the advisory board at the club, said: "We are pleased that we have found a partner who assumes the responsibility for environment and society, and is developed pioneering sustainable concepts. We will therefore implement those here in Hoffenheim, and in the metropolitan region, together with innovative Suntech solar projects."

Vedat Gürgeli, vice president of sales and marketing for Suntech Europe, added: "Suntech's commitment at 1899 Hoffenheim is a further step for our extensive global photovoltaic brand to get closer to an even wider audience."

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This deal is the latest in a trend which has seen German soccer clubs Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen, FC Köln and FC Schalke 04 enter into sponsorship agreements with solar companies Yingli Solar, Q-Cells, SiG Solar, Solar World AG and Chaori Solar respectively.

Elsewhere in German soccer, 2. Bundesliga side Dynamo Dresden has extended its partnership with Ostsächsische Sparkasse Dresden for two more years, while league rivals Fortuna Dusseldorf have renewed their premium partnership with Air Berlin for the same period.