DR Congo wants to appear on football shirts: a “waste of money”
Kinshasa committed millions of euros to sponsorship contracts signed in late June and early July with the clubs Monaco, Milan, and Barcelona. According to the Congolese and international press, this investment, intended to promote tourism in the DRC, was a miscalculation.
Nearly €4.8 million over three years for AS Monaco, €42 million over three years for AC Milan, and €43 million over four years for FC Barcelona. The Congolese news site Actualité.CD does its math : “The Democratic Republic of Congo has committed more than €90 million to sports sponsorship contracts with three major European clubs.”
These partnerships with prestigious football teams were concluded in quick succession, between June 18 and July 1 , by the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Tourism. While few details have been leaked about their content, they should confirm the appearance of the phrase “DRC Heart of Africa” on players' match or training jerseys, on various advertising displays in stadiums, and on social media. In this Instagram post from the official AS Monaco account, striker Ansu Fati can be seen wearing a jersey with the “RDC Coeur de l'Afrique” logo on the left sleeve.
“The Congolese government’s stated objective is to strengthen the country’s international visibility, particularly in the field of tourism. However, these investments have attracted criticism from Congolese civil society, in a context where sports infrastructure
Courrier International
