Aston Villa has announced a multi-year front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda, worth close to £20 million per season. The agreement represents an increase on the club's previous partnership with Betano, a gambling company.
Deal negotiated amid gambling sponsorship ban
Francesco Calvo, Villa's president of business operations, played a key role in negotiating the improved revenue from the front-of-shirt sponsorship despite the impending ban on gambling companies. In April 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of matchday shirts ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. This decision meant securing a new and equally lucrative sponsor would prove challenging for top-flight clubs, but Calvo helped secure improved terms for Villa.
Partnership extends beyond commercial agreement
Villa's partnership with Visit Rwanda will extend beyond a commercial agreement, with the club expected to support the development of football in the country through programmes and coaching initiatives. Visit Rwanda already has partnerships with Atlético de Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern Munich, as well as US sports franchises including the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Rams. Arsenal also featured Visit Rwanda on the sleeves of their shirts for eight seasons, from 2018 until the end of last season, in an agreement worth more than £10 million per year.
Controversy over 'sportswashing' accusations
The campaign has helped raise Rwanda's global profile, although the country's government has faced criticism for investing heavily in sport as a means of improving its international image – a strategy critics have labelled “sportswashing”. The Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch has previously said that Visit Rwanda partnerships help conceal the country's “abysmal track record” on human rights.
