Barcelona offer Camp Nou naming rights in coronavirus fundraiser

BARCELONA:

Barcelona will raise money for the fight against coronavirus by selling the naming rights to their Camp Nou stadium next season for the first time in the club's history.

The income generated from the re-naming of Barca's 99,000-seater home for one year will be put towards "research projects and other projects involved in the battle against the effects of Covid-19, both at a local and international level".

The stadium will keep 'Camp Nou' in its name while also including the new sponsor.

The club have previously advertised UNICEF children's charity for free on their shirts.

In a statement on Tuesday, the club said the process of finding a buyer will begin "in the next few weeks".

"The income generated will create a fund that will be divided in the following way: a part will go towards a project on Covid-19 driven by the sponsors themselves and the rest will be shared out amongst other projects that are being developed in parallel," the statement added.

Spain has been one of the worst-hit countries by the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of confirmed deaths relating to the virus passed 21,000 on Tuesday, according to the latest figures.

"Being the top sporting entity in the world means we take on this challenge as fully as we can," said Barcelona vice-president Jordi Cardoner.

"If we can serve as inspiration for other organisations involved in the battle, perhaps we can create a wave of hope for millions of people around the world who are suffering due to this pandemic."