MUNICH: Bayern Munich signaled Friday they will cut down on “Visit Rwanda” branding as they move “away from a commercial sponsorship” with the African nation facing a backlash over alleged support for rebels in neighboring Congo.
Bayern dismissed allegations of “sportswashing” when they signed a five-year Rwanda deal in 2023. It included advertisements in the stadium and what Bayern called events “to promote tourism and investment opportunities in Rwanda.”
At the time, they replaced a controversial sponsorship deal with Qatar. Rwanda has similar sponsorships with European soccer giants like Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid.
Some Bayern fans displayed a large banner at a game in February protesting the deal, amid accusations from the United Nations that Rwanda has backed rebels in neighboring Congo.
Now the German soccer champion say they have reached a new deal with Rwanda which turns the existing sponsorship deal into a three-year agreement focusing on developing young soccer players at a Bayern-affiliated academy in the country.
