Napoli and Lete renew shirt sponsorship agreement for next season

Napoli's sponsorship deal with Lete to be the main shirt sponsor was set to expire this summer, leading many to wonder who might next adorn Napoli's shirts. Well, that question will have to be put on hold for another year: Napoli and Lete have agreed to extend their agreement for another year.

Last season was the tenth of the partnership between Lete and Napoli, a long-term relationship that has seen Napoli rise from the agony of bankruptcy to the heights they've reached in recent years. They're not the only sponsor on Napoli's shirts, currently joined by Naples-based pasta company Garofalo and previously by MSC Cruises, but they are the main sponsor, and the sole logo on the shirt when Napoli play in European competitions.

Exact terms of the deal are unknown, but it's believed to be a simple one-year extension of the existing sponsorship agreement. That would mean the deal is still worth roughly €5 million per season, which isn't exactly a mouth-watering sum in this modern world of finance-driven football.

It's possible, even likely, that Napoli had a bigger deal lined up with another company, but that deal hinged on making the Champions League. When Napoli failed to meet that goal, that deal would have gone up in smoke, leaving the club scrambling to get something done. Hence the sudden extension of the existing deal, and hence it being just one year.

Still, loyalty has it's place, and considering how much Napoli has gone through with Lete on their shirts over the last decade, there's a certain comfort in seeing the relationship continue for another year. Hopefully even when Napoli do land a big-money shirt sponsor, the club can find a way to continue their relationship with Lete.