Southampton bin Chinese shirt sponsors LD Sports, stop sales

English Premier League side end deal with LD Sports after checking if they were ‘appropriate and viable partner’
Mysterious sports platform, which also sponsors Espanyol, raised eyebrows last year when signing deal before business was launched

English Premier League

Jonathan White

Published: 11:42am, 26 Aug 2020

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English Premier League side Southampton have ended their relationship with Chinese sponsors LD Sports, the club announced on Tuesday.

The deal with the mysterious sports platform, which also sponsors Spanish second tier side Espanyol, raised eyebrows when it was signed last year as so little was known about the company that was yet to launch and whose product offering was unclear.

Earlier this month, the Daily Mail reported that the Chinese company was set to walk away from the deal, citing the impact of Covid-19 on the economy and the backdrop of souring relations between Britain and China.

However, the club statement to usher in new shirt sponsors Sportsbet.io suggests that the club ended the lucrative partnership.

“Today’s announcement signals the end of the club’s relationship with LD Sports. Over the last week, we have endeavoured to secure confirmation that LD Sports are still an appropriate and viable partner for the club, but have been left with no alternative other than to end the partnership today with immediate effect.”

The change of shirt sponsors has affected fans who already bought new kits ahead of the season, which begins on September 12.

“The club has also taken the difficult decision to temporarily halt all sales of home, away and third kits. Fans who have already purchased a 20/21 home, away or third shirt with LD Sports on the front are kindly asked for their patience and understanding at this time whilst the club resolves what is an extremely complex situation and sources a solution for updating their shirts.”

It is an unusual end to a bizarre deal for the Chinese-controlled club. The LD Sports deal was reported to have been completed by mainland-based agents of owner Guo Jisheng, the Lander Sports magnate who bought 80 per cent of Southampton for a reported US$263 million in 2017.

Reports suggested that Guo was able to buy the remaining 20 per cent of the South Coast side from minority owner Katharina Liebherr this summer. It remains unclear whether this has happened.

EPL fears Chinese state has taken control of Southampton: report

Guo’s ownership came under EPL scrutiny after his Lander Sports real estate group was sold to a state-owned enterprise, with fears that the Chinese government owned the club.

The LD Sports contract was the largest in Saints history, valued at US$8.5 million per season and set to run from 2019-20 until the end of the 2021-22 campaign. It has not been announced what cryptocurrency betting platform Sportsbet’s have paid to replace them.

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