Bayern Munich players will no longer wear the Qatar Airways logo on their jersey sleeves after years of fans of pressuring the German club not to renew their €100 billion ($109 million) sponsorship deal over human rights concerns.
The club announced the news in a statement Wednesday. “The contract between FC Bayern and Qatar Airways ends by mutual agreement on 30 June 2023 after five very exciting years together,” Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said in the statement.
“Both partners have actively promoted an exchange between cultures,” he added. “It has always been the goal of FC Bayern and Qatar Airways to connect people through football, including women’s football. Trusting, open exchanges have created friendships that will continue.”
Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar al-Baker said that his airline has had a fruitful partnership with Bayern over the years.
“We wish the team all the best for the future,” Baker added.
The airline has been partnered with the Bayern since 2018 and the deal was due to come to an end on June 30.
Bayern fans have long criticized the club about the deal with the Gulf country’s flag carrier. Qatar faces allegations of human rights violations, including against the LGBTQ+ community and of migrant workers in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup, which Qatar hosted.
Many of the concerns were highlighted during the World Cup at the end of last year, where multiple fans urged Bayern to end the deal. The players of the German national soccer team covered their mouths to suggest they had been gagged by FIFA after the soccer body said that they could face sporting bans if they wore rainbow armbands in the tournament to show their support for LGBTQ+ rights.
In 2021, Bayern’s annual general meeting spiraled into a heated row between fans and the board about the Qatar Airways deal. Some 77.8% of the club members voted in favor of Bayern ending its ties with the airline, but the board rejected the idea.
