Cruzeiro managed to get rid of the risk of relegation in the penultimate round of the Brazilian Championship. The team entered the last game against Palmeiras with a different uniform. Betfair, Cruzeiro‘s main sponsor, gave up its space on the shirt to pay homage to the fan Celeste at Mineirão.
The team performed with the following phrase printed on the chest: “Thank you, Blue Nation” – a simple and direct thank you to the Cruzeiro fans who supported the team throughout the year.
After three seasons competing in Series B, the team from Minas Gerais returned to the first national division this year. The club fought hard to achieve the objectives set for this season: remaining in the elite and qualifying for the 2024 South American Cup..
With more than 10 million Cruzeiro fans around the world, Betfair decided to give up its space on the Raposa shirt, which it has sponsored since January 2023, to celebrate the affection that these fans gave to the club this year.
Partnership between Betfair and Cruzeiro
According to Shane O’Driscoll, Marketing Director at Betfair, the initiative reinforces the partnership between the companies.
“When we signed the partnership, in January 2023, we knew how important it would be to support Cruzeiro at a particularly important moment in its history of more than 100 years”
“The support of fans this season was fundamental and Betfair was at the side of the club and its fans throughout the year, offering the best exclusive experiences and providing content that brought fans even closer to their team.”
“Nothing more fair than paying tribute to those who have always been close to Cruzeiro and us. We will continue to demonstrate, in 2024, that with Betfair the game is different”, he added.
For Gabriel Lima, CEO of Cruzeiro, the fans were of utmost importance in Cruzeiro’s return to Série A of the Brasileirão and Betfair pays a beautiful tribute to the fans. “This has been a challenging year for all of us.”
“We always made it clear that our fans would play a fundamental role in this first year in Serie A and we felt embraced by them. Therefore, we designed this action of thanks and hope to reciprocate the support more and more on the field”, said Lima.
While attacking midfielder Matheus Pereira praised the initiative and stated that the fans were fundamental, being the twelfth player in the matches.
“I was very happy with Betfair, who gave us this space on the shirt to pay homage to our fans, who gave us great support this season”
“We want to have a great campaign in 2024 and we continue to count on your support to put Cruzeiro up there, where it has always been and is the place the club deserves”, added the player.
Two-year sponsorship
Cruzeiro and Betfair signed a two-year sponsorship contract. The agreement signed includes master exposure on the men’s team, in addition to the upper back on the women’s team.
The Betfair brand is also present in all Cruzeiro digital media, interview backdrops, right on the team’s official bus, in addition to being the promoter of the Cruzeiro Caravana, held in cities in the interior of Minas Gerais.
About Betfair
One of the largest online sports betting providers in the world, Betfair is an official sponsor of the Cruzeiro and Palmeiras teams.
Furthermore, the platform offers a wide catalog of products that allow you to bet with your own odds and odds offered by other users.
Thus, the bookmaker is licensed to operate online betting and other games in 19 countries, including Spain, Italy, Malta, Colombia and Great Britain.
