Three Ireland has confirmed that it will end its sponsorship deal with the Football Association of Ireland next year.
The telecommunications company began sponsoring Ireland’s international squads in 2010 and renewed its deal in 2015. In a statement released this afternoon, Three said that it “has made the decision not to renew its sponsorship of Irish football when the current contract comes to an end at the end of July 2020. Having recently reviewed our full sponsorship portfolio, we have decided to consolidate our sponsorship investment in the area of music.”
The statement added that Three will remain involved with the Irish men’s and women’s teams until the current deal runs out, saying: “at Three, we are entirely focused on supporting the Irish men’s team through what we hope will be an exciting and successful qualification for the UEFA European Football Championship and the Irish women’s team in their qualification journey for the UEFA Women’s European Championship.”
The FAI has endured a tumultuous year, with the company’s financial dealings coming under heavy scrutiny. Chief Executive John Delaney resigned from his position in September. More revelations are expected to become public knowledge on Thursday with the release of financial results, including details of Delaney’s exit package.
The FAI thank @ThreeIreland for their sponsorship
➡️ https://t.co/1ByccAzwBt #COYBIG #COYGIG pic.twitter.com/l9ioWr7T0U
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) December 4, 2019
FAI President Donal Conway has responded to Three’s decision by saying “The Board and the commercial team here at the FAI would like to thank Three Chief Executive Robert Finnegan and his colleagues for their support of Irish football.
“In their ten years as proud backers of Irish football they have been Ireland’s number one supporter and we will always be grateful to them for their financial and personal support.”
