OREANDA-NEWS. On July 25, 2009 the MGIMO stadium hosted the opening of the annual Summer Cup of the Expats’ Football League. The Cup’s sponsor for the next two-year period is IC ROSNO, which has given the competition its new name: Allianz ROSNO Expat Football League, reported the press-centre of ROSNO.

The games of the Moscow Expat Football League1 have been played regularly for 6 years already. The League was founded in May 2003 by a group of foreign citizens working in Russia and missing their daily football. They formed the first two teams. In subsequent years, the League attracted many new players, and the Summer Cup will be played between as many as 10 teams.

Among the members of the League are over 250 foreign citizens from over 49 countries (U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America), living and working in Russia. Among them are students, teachers, middle managers and senior executives of the Russian and international companies. Presently, the League consists of 9 teams. In addition, among the participants of the Summer Cup will be the team of Allianz ROSNO.

The support provided by ROSNO to the Expat League is not incidental. According to experts, Moscow is home to about 200,000 foreign citizens professionally employed in Russia. IC ROSNO, a member of the international finance and insurance holding Allianz, is actively expanding and supporting international contacts at various levels: from business partnership to joint leisure. ROSNO makes available special services intended to facilitate communication between foreign clients and the company (English-speaking employees of the call centre and customer service area, English versions of the company’s website and insurance documentation). Besides, the company hires foreign specialists from Allianz companies throughout the world.

ROSNO has always paid much attention to supporting the sports. The company has insured many Russian sporting clubs and teams, sports federations, and professional sporting leagues. ROSNO is the traditional insurer for the Russian Olympians. In addition, the company itself holds ROSNO Mini Football Cup among the employees of Allianz Eurasia on the annual basis. Traditionally, among its participants are the company’s top managers, including Mr. Hannes Chopra, head of Allianz Eurasia and CEO of OJSC IC ROSNO. ROSNO’s shareholder is also rich in sporting traditions: Allianz has been traditionally supporting the Formula 1 racing, Paralympic movement, and major golf tournaments. Allianz SE is the official partner of the football club Bavaria and the sporting centre Allianz Arena.

"Supporting the Allianz ROSNO Expat Football League is of special importance for us. Being part of the international holding, our company possesses deep insight into the immense benefits from international contacts and partnership. And sport is the best possible method of facilitating its development", commented on the project participation Mr. Hannes Chopra, CEO of ROSNO and head of Allianz Eurasia.

1 Expat (abbreviation from expatriate, originating from the Latin words "ex patria" — "outside native country") is a colloquialism denoting foreign employees, occasionally also used as a self-name.