Arsenal fans prefer to vacation to the city rival rather than in Rwanda
Arsenal fans showed a satirical campaign that they are in no way in favor of the Visit Rwando sponsor, the official Rwanda Tourist Promotion Campaign. It is enough to be enough to have a big panel in front of the Emirates Stadium with the inscription « Visit Tottenham », and so they would prefer to vacation at the city rival than in Rwanda. Also, before the match against Crystal Palace, protesters distributed strips to covered the sponsorship inscription Visit Rwanda.
The sponsor is a throat bone fans because, according to many organizations, the state supports the M23 rebel group, which, according to the United Nations, is « responsible for serious violations of international law and for attacks on women and children in conflict in the Democratic Republic of Kongo. »
Arsenal goalkeeper David Ray and the controversial inscription Visit Rwanda on the jersey. Photo: David Klein/Reuters
With a controversial patron, the artillers concluded a contract in 2018, which in the 2023-2024 season reported The Athletic It brought twelve million euros to the cash register. Arsenal will not lack the money next season, as it will most likely end this season among the top three clubs in the Premier League, and in the Champions League it has already qualified for the semifinals.
Earlier this year, followers of Paris Saint-Germain also resisted sponsorship. “As an iconic and world -renowned club, PSG should strive for positive values. However, because one of the sponsors is visiting Rwanda, people around the world see PSG as an organization that ignores the geopolitical and humanitarian crisis in the Congo, « they wrote in a press release. The petition that fans wanted to get rid of the sponsor Visit Rwanda received 75,000 signatures in February.
Despite the appeals of the fans, PSG renewed the contract with a controversial sponsor. Photo: Screen Clip on PSG Club website
But the dogs bark and the caravan goes on. PSG and Visit Rwanda extended their cooperation in mid -April until 2028, according to the club leaders, « reinforced the ubiquity of Rwanda and emphasized the role of the state as a basis for the development of young people and creativity. Republic of Congo.
Words are, there are no actions
The pressure was not only carried out by supporters, the protest note also arrived in the clubs from Kong. Foreign Minister there Therese Kayikwamba Wagner In February, three European football giants, Bayern, Arsenal and Paris Saint-German, sent a letter calling clubs to boycott sponsorship, as « Rwanda participates in a war in the Congo, which caused more than 500,000 people to emigrate this year. » the sale of illegal exploitation of natural resources from the Congo.
“Of course we are dealing with the current situation. We have already sent two employees to Rwanda, where they report on the situation. When they come back, we will decide on the following measures, « she reports according to the German media Dw At the letter of Congor Foreign Minister, the Bayern Executive Director said Jan-Christian Dreesen. Since then, Bayern has not taken a single measure in connection with the controversial sponsor.
The answer to the question of supporters if they want to receive millions of euros a year or lose a few thousand fans, have already been so obviously given to Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern and Arsenal.
