Barça hope to present Qatar Airways renewal next week

FC Barcelona have some urgency in closing the club sponsor for the first team's shirt, and thereby assuring themselves of an economic income that would not have been so pressing had the 'Can Rigalt' case not found against them.

That case forces the club to undo the land deal signed in 2005, and return 47 million euros.

It is expected that, on Tuesday or Wednesday of the coming week, those responsible with the negotiations, Manel Arroyo, as vice-president of sponsorship and marketing, and Francesco Calvo, general director of the club's commercial area, will sign the agreement reached with Qatar Airways of extending their contract for one year.

The existing contract tying the club to QSI (Qatar Sports Investment) stems from season 2010/11, and lasted until June 30, 2016.

The deal to renew could be put to the FC Barcelona members, with the economic benefit being between 35 and 40 million euros solely for the upcoming season.

Josep Maria Bartomeu and his board were looking for more than the 60 million euros average that the former economic vice-president, Javier Faus, had signed in an 'agreement of intentions', before leaving the club.

Faced with this apparently impossible task, Barça have found an intermediary formula.

This would allow the club to continue to receive income for the shirt sponsorship, as the kits are currently being sold without this.

SPORT already revealed in early July that FC Barcelona were in conversations with Amazon, the 'e-commerce' giant, with a view to them becoming the shirt sponsors from season 2017/18, on a four-year deal.

The club is also negotiating separately for sponsorship relating to the training tops and youth football shirts.

Despite the fact that the deal with Qatar Airways ended on June 30, the facade of the Camp Nou stadium, as well as the seats of the 'Gol Nord' stand, continue intact with the name of the airline.

A clear sign that the relationship with the company from the Persian Gulf continues its course.