Everton reach agreement over new stadium naming rights as Euro 2028 news emerges
Everton have reached an agreement to hide branding while hosting matches at Euro 2028 if they finally strike naming rights deals for their stadium, according to The Telegraph.
Ten stadiums have been chosen from across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland to be a part of the UK and Republic of Ireland’s joint tournament bid.
Two development site stadiums – Belfast’s Casement Park and Everton’s Bramley-Moore Dock – also feature in a list which is completed by Tottenham, Hampden Park, Wembley, St James’ Park and Villa Park.
Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri held talks with executives from Qatar Airways back in January about naming rights for the new Bramley-Moore Dock, according to the Daily Mail [7 January], but it now seems as if they have agreed to scale back on the branding if they manage to strike naming right deals for their new build.
According to Telegraph sources, [12 April] so-called “clean stadium” pledges had been made and agreed by all 10 grounds with UEFA always demanding unbranded stadiums for their European international tournaments.
Interesting
The Toffees’ majority shareholder is looking to secure funding for the new Bramley-Moore stadium which is due to be opened ahead of the 2024-25 season and see Everton move out of Goodison Park, but it is interesting that the club agreeing to no branding ahead of the Euro 2028 which may come as a threat to the proposed funding that Moshiri had held talks for.
Moshiri knows that without new funding from outside the football club, the chances of this tough stadium project being completed and Everton remaining financially stable at the same time are very slim.
The club have been under huge financial pressure, especially in regards to the increasing costs of their new stadium in recent weeks and will be looking to claim as many monetary gains as they can get in the coming months and years to ensure that the club remains afloat, especially if they suffer relegation at the end of the current campaign.
The new stadium becoming one of the venues for the Euro 2028 showpiece is a huge opportunity for the Toffees, one which will certainly bring much attention and tourism to their new build so maybe agreeing to a “clean stadium” is not too bad a decision for the club in the long haul.
However, the club will be hoping they are back where they belong in the English top flight by the time the international tournament comes around.