Chelsea have kicked off their 2023-24 season with a draw against Liverpool but had the novelty of playing the match without a shirt sponsor.
The west London side are one of the most marketable clubs in the world, despite their underwhelming 2022-23 season. But, as of Monday, their 1990s-inspired blue kit remains without a name beyond their crest and the swoosh of manufacturer Nike.
The football club’s deal with mobile phone company Three ended last season.
The kit goes on sale on Wednesday at the Stamford Bridge megastore and then in shops further afield from August 23.
Chelsea fans are awaiting an announcement over the sponsor but eagle-eyed fans think they may already have spotted a clue as to who it could be.
Here is what we know so far.
Why does Chelsea’s new kit have no sponsor?
The football club’s deal with mobile phone company Three, which was worth £40 million a year, ended after last season. Chelsea was in talks with gambling firm Stake.com but they ended after a bad reaction from fans.
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust said that by partnering with the betting company, the club would be making a “total mockery” of the work the Chelsea Foundation had done to help people with gambling addictions.
The trust said the sponsorship was “not in line with the commitment of growing and developing Chelsea FC as a ‘world-class’ organisation” and that it would “alienate many supporters”.
According to the trust, 77 per cent of members “disagreed with the use of an online casino and betting company as the primary shirt sponsor”.
The failed talks with Stake.com came after Chelsea FC lost out on a lucrative deal with Paramount+, with the Premier League blocking sponsorship over concerns it would upset broadcasting rights holders.
The football club also reportedly rejected a deal with insurance firm Allianz, while a deal with an unnamed cryptocurrency company reportedly failed, too.
Who might sponsor Chelsea for 2023-24?
A clue has been presented in the form of a Sky Sports video on YouTube. The light-hearted short sees players interviewed around the Chelsea training ground as they get ready for the new season.
There is not a lot given away — aside from some light-hearted joshing — but eagle-eyed fans have noticed an inscription on a jersey worn by Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.
He is seen wearing a shirt reading ‘Infinite Athlete’ during an exchange with Raheem Sterling and it is possible this was a mistake rather than a reveal.
Infinite Athlete has been rumoured to be nearing a £40million deal to sponsor Chelsea.
The company’s website states: “Our mission is to build an operating system for sports that powers infinite innovation and makes sports better for the fan, the game, and the athlete.”
