Could be that we're facing the end of an era, as Chinese paper, Titan Sports has reported that Inter Milan could be set to sign a lucrative sponsorship deal with Hengda Hengchi, the electric car brand of Evergrande, bringing an end to the club’s decades-long association with Pirelli.
After nearly 25 years, the prospect of seeing an Inter Milan shirt without the iconic Pirelli sponsorship across the front is, frankly, not something that we want to face. But business is business, as they say, and as a result it appears that it is something that we may well have to accept, with reports suggesting that Chinese real estate giants Evergrande have held exploratory talks with the Serie A club over potential partnerships. And now those discussions look to have come to fruition with a rumoured new deal that could earn Inter €100 million.
Though the report adds Hengda Hengchi will be joining as the Serie A side’s new car sponsor, it does not mention if the brand will be replacing Pirelli as Inter’s shirt sponsor, so there is still that inkling of hope. Inter’s long term partnership with the tyre manufacturer has seen the club bring in €10.5m per year since 1995, making it one of the longest in football history. With this being said, Pirelli’s contract with the Italian giants is set to expire in 2021 and Zhang Jindong, the club’s owner, is reportedly eyeing up more lucrative sponsorship deals in an attempt to keep up with Inter’s European competitors.
