EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea to unveil new home shirt on Monday WITHOUT a sponsor after pulling out of deal with gambling firm Stake due to fan backlash
- Chelsea will unveil their new shirt for the 2023-24 season without a sponsor
- The Blues pulled out of a deal with gambling firm Stake due to fan backlash
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Chelsea will unveil their new kit on Monday – without a front-of-shirt sponsor.
The west London club will launch their 2023-24 range and it will not feature a main partner after bosses rejected an offer from gambling company Stake.
As Mail Sport revealed, Chelsea had expected to sign a deal with Paramount+, only to see it vetoed by the Premier League. That decision left bosses at Stamford Bridge in a difficult position with the clock ticking towards the new campaign.
A mooted deal with Stake triggered criticism from fans groups and campaigners ahead of the forthcoming ban on betting firms taking front of shirt sponsorships. And club bosses decided against accepting the offer believing it would not be the right fit.
While talks with other prospective sponsors are ongoing, it is understood that Chelsea’s top brass have now decided to bring out the new Nike kit without a sponsor to avoid further delays.
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Chelsea will unveil their new shirt on Monday, but it will not feature a front of shirt sponsor
The Blues pulled out of a deal with gambling firm Stake due to fan backlash
Fans will be able to pre-order the shirt which should be available either close to or shortly after the start of the new season. Had they waited until a sponsor was secured that would not have been the case.
Regardless, for one of the ‘Big Six’ not to have a main shirt sponsor on launch day is unique. Chelsea officials were close to signing a deal with Paramount+ for a significant sum and were left bewildered when the Premier League denied them permission.
Wary of upsetting rights holders, competition bosses ruled that such a link-up with the international streaming service – which does not show Premier League matches in the UK – would not be permitted under the Deed of License, which is the contract between clubs and Premier League.
That decision left Chelsea scrambling to find an alternative. They spoke to a number of alternatives including German financial services outfit Allianz and Stake, an online casino and sports betting platform, who emerged as frontrunners. However, amid a backlash, bosses decided against taking that forward.
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