OREANDA-NEWS. Spartak Moscow Football Club and Otrkitie Bank have entered into a long-term strategic sponsor agreement according to which the new stadium currently being built in Tushino will be named Otkritie Arena and the club’s uniforms, beginning in the 2013-2014 season, will feature the Bank’s logos.

The value of the agreement amounts to RUB1.280 billion. Under its terms, the stadium will be called Otkritie Arena for six years. The money will be used for developing the club, its infrastructure and training facilities, the Cherenkov Academy, the former player movement, and children's/teenager’s football projects.

Naming a stadium after a sponsor has become a common practice in Europe. For example, Bayern Munich F.C. playing its home games at Allianz Arena and Arsenal F.C. plays at Emirates Stadium.

Spartak Moscow F.C. will pay tribute to its great history by naming the new stadium’s stands after the club’s founders, the legendary Starostin brothers, as well as other famous past players, and by placing sculptures of past players in the stadium.

Otkritie Arena will become part of Tushino-2018, a unique federal project for a single complex comprising a football stadium, a riding hall, water and ice sports facilities, tennis courts, gyms, and well-developed tourist infrastructure.

“This deal is extremely important for the club, especially taking into account the financial fair play policy that has been actively pursued by UEFA. Having our own stadium and related infrastructure is key to implementing this policy. Spartak, which, unlike many other government-financed Russian clubs, is financed from private sources, and is taking a great step towards becoming financially self-sustaining”, says Leonid Fedun, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Spartak Moscow F.C.

Otkritie’s business development plans provide for supporting strategically important Russian and international projects. Naming the arena of Russia’s most popular football club, which will also host games for the 2018 World Cup, after a sponsor is unprecedented in this country. We are positive that cooperation with Spartak Moscow F.C. will help us increase the awareness of our brand on the federal level”, adds Vadim Belyaev, Otkritie’s Board of Directors Chairman.