🔗 Share this article

Arsenal Football Club has officially announced that its contentious sponsorship partnership with Visit Rwanda will expire in June this upcoming year.

Background and Scrutiny

The partnership, reportedly valued at around £10m per year, began in 2018 and has since been heavily criticized.

This criticism stems from the country's reported backing for the M23 forces in continuing hostilities in the eastern areas of the adjacent DRC.

Months ago, Arsenal faced allegations of committing a disrespectful act to the government of the DRC by declining to meet with Congolese diplomat Thérèse Wagner to discuss the partnership.

Partnership Structure and Objectives

Visit Rwanda operates as an arm of the Rwanda's development authority, which is a public entity.

It is widely believed that Arsenal committed to and maintained this partnership primarily to expand their following across the continent.

However, the arrangement has now concluded after both parties “jointly decided” to go their separate ways.

“Jointly, Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have exceeded the primary aims of the partnership – advocating preservation and responsible tourism, encouraging numerous followers to discover the country, and building a solid groundwork for tourism growth,” declared an club announcement.

The release further noted that the partnership has also supported Rwanda's objective to emerge as an international sporting hub in Africa and host more global sporting events while delivering local football projects that have helped hundreds of young players and coaches develop their skills and inspire greater participation in sports throughout the nation.

Management Opinion and Fan Backlash

Richard Garlick, Arsenal's CEO, portrayed the arrangement as a “major expedition” and stated it had been “driving forward” the club's ambitions.

However, this perspective was not shared by a section of Arsenal's fanbase, with the activist organization Gunners Supporting Peace staging protests outside the club's home ground during the first semi-final encounter in Europe's premier competition against Paris Saint-Germain in late April.

Activists unveiled a banner that read “End the Rwanda Deal” and distributed armbands to conceal the Visit Rwanda logo on kits.

Industry Perspective and Fellow Clubs

Around that time, the French champions extended their sponsorship arrangement with Visit Rwanda through 2028.

Simultaneously, the Madrid-based team inked a recent contract for the identical duration that has resulted in the branding featured on the Madrid-based team's men's and women's shirts.