Bayern Munich ends Qatar sponsorship deal after fans fuming

Bayern Munich and Qatar Airways said Wednesday they are ending a sponsorship deal which caused tension between the German champion and the fans.

Bayern and the Qatari state-owned airline said in a joint statement that the sponsorship “ends by mutual agreement on 30 June 2023″. They worked together for five years.

Bayern’s players wore the Qatar Airways logo on their sleeves and regularly traveled to Qatar for winter training camps, including one in January this year. Fan groups critical of the human rights record of the 2022 World Cup host nation had campaigned not to renew the deal when it expired at the end of the season.

OFFICIAL: Bayern Munich will NOT extend the sponsorship contract with Qatar Airways.

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The club’s fan groups have been protesting against the deal on human rights grounds. pic.twitter.com/aHKEK1vO6t

— DW Sports (@dw_sports) June 28, 2023

Bayern management defended the sponsorship by saying that it had helped to bring positive change to Qatar, but the contract is terminated. The airline remains a significant player in European soccer through its ownership of Paris Saint-Germain and a Qatari banker who is bidding to buy Manchester United.