Best football deal yet in the region: Fernandes

SINGAPORE — AirAsia may have previously sponsored the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Indonesia’s national football body (PSSI), but as far as Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes (picture) is concerned, its tie-up with the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is the best in South-east Asia, yet.

The three-year S$1.8 million shirt deal with the FAS is the biggest football sponsorship package that the budget airline has inked in the region. However, what really clinched the deal was not the financial benefits that AirAsia will gain from the partnership, said Fernandes.

Instead, it was the passion of the football administrators and their programme for youth development that clinched the agreement.

The 49-year-old Malaysian, who is also the Chairman of Queens Park Rangers (QPR), added that he will be working with the FAS to send deserving young talents to the English Championship club for stints.

“I never look at the commercial aspirations,” he said. “I look at the fact we can help a group of guys who are passionate about making football the biggest thing in Singapore and for me to be part of that is great.

“I am a big believer in ASEAN and sometimes, I am ahead of the game and am criticised a lot for it.

“But to show an AirAsia logo on a Singaporean jersey shows that we do believe in ASEAN and we will support anyone who wants to forward the message to the youths, that we want them to do better and to dream.”

As FIFA forbids sponsorship on national jerseys, AirAsia’s logo will feature instead on the Lions, Under-23 and youth teams’ training kits.

Fernandes acknowledged that there may be rumblings across the Causeway over the deal, given the fierce football rivalry between Singapore and Malaysia.

“Of course, some people will say I am not supporting Malaysia, but I think the FAS came up with a great proposal and I like what they were going to do with the youths,” he said.

“There are going to be negatives ... but who cares? We did it, and as long as it makes more sense for both of us and the youths benefit from it, great.”

When contacted, an FAM spokesman said the FAS-AirAsia tie-up should be not be viewed in partisan terms. “We view it purely as a commercial decision by a commercial company. After all, AirAsia was also one of our sponsors three years ago.”

While the FAS will benefit from being able to send players and football coaches to QPR, Fernandes said the London club will also gain from the partnership.

“We are building a new £40-million (S$77-million) academy because the future is not about buying players, but developing them. That is where the FAS can benefit QPR,” he said. “But I think we can also benefit from them in areas like sports medicine.”