Chelsea terminates Oman Air sponsorship deal after less than a year 

Chelsea FC have “mysteriously” ended a sponsorship deal with Oman Air amid efforts to avoid breaching profit and sustainability rules, reported The Telegraph on Friday, citing insider sources.

The move comes less than a year, after the $2.5 million-a-year airline partnership deal was announced by the London-based club in July of last year.

The three-year sponsorship agreement was inked to coincide with Omani flag carrier’s 30th anniversary, and was airline’s first-ever Premier League club partnership.

However, Oman Air no longer features on the “club partners” section of the football team’s official website. Sources have told Telegraph Sport the deal has been terminated. If confirmed true, this means “Chelsea currently do not have first-team front-of-shirt, sleeve or airline sponsors confirmed for next season,” the report says.

READ: Oman to invest $13bn to boost tourism by 2040

It has been speculated by sources that the problem over the deal arose on the Oman Air side, which forced Chelsea to agree to a termination, although neither party has commented or disclosed any details.

According to sports broadcaster and journalist Ben Jacobs, Oman Air initiated the termination of the partnership “as part of significant downsizing measures.”

“The airline has reduced its aircrafts to 31 and is cutting or closing lots of European flights. Several senior management involved in the #CFC deal have left the company,” he posted on X.

Football news website Goal notes that although the deal wasn’t especially lucrative for the Blues, they still need to comply with Financial Fair play (FFP) rules after announcing a $115 million pre-tax loss in the 12-month period up to 30 June. Chelsea’s rivals believe they must raise $128 million through player sales to comply this summer. Failure to do so may result in points deduction.