French Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon made a statement, literally, last night with the front of its team’s jersey declaring the slogan ‘Dubai is Open’ in a friendly match.
Celebrating the first match since agreeing a new sponsorship contract with Emirates’ Airlines the one-night-only kit was debuted in a pre-season friendly match against their league rivals, OGC Nice.
The bespoke jerseys were created to help raise awareness that Dubai has re-opened for tourism, and comes on the back of the Dubai Government’s recent announcement that welcomes business and leisure visitors to the city from July 7.
The “Dubai is Open” message will also be visible on digital signboards across Emirates’ other football sponsorships in Europe, including Real Madrid and Arsenal.
Unlike Europe’s other major football leagues, the French Football Federation took the decision to end the domestic club season prematurely, citing the impact of Covid-19. Lyon, however, will resume its Champions League campaign later this summer where it currently holds a 1-0 advantage over Italian champions Juventus in the Round of 16.
On July 1, Emirates became the Official Main Sponsors of the Lyon football club. The official 20/21 home jerseys featuring Emirates “Fly Better” logo will be revealed ahead of the new season.
