Record sponsorship deal for Flora

FC Flora and A Le Coq Tartu Brewery have signed Estonia's biggest ever sports sponsorship deal.

Stadium renamed
On 24 January the two companies agreed a deal whereby Estonian champions Flora will rename their brand new Lilleküla stadium the A Le Coq Arena in return for a sum close to €1m over the next 15 years from A Le Coq, the second largest brewery in Estonia.
 
'Enormously important'
Aivar Pohlak, president of Flora, said of the deal: "This contract is enormously important for Estonian football. The stadium has already cost €8m and will cost approximately €5m more. It could not have been built without the help of the Estonian government, Tallinn City Council, UEFA and FIFA, but the political situation in Estonia has changed and new leaders are less inclined to support sports ventures, so private sponsors are warmly welcomed.

All-seater venue
"When finished in 2003, the A Le Coq Arena will be able to hold 12,500 spectators in all-seated and covered stands. The project of the stadium has been a success, every foreign team or delegate visiting the stadium is impressed, although parts of it are still under construction."

Friendly against Russia
The first international match in the renamed A Le Coq Arena will be played on 27 March, when Estonia meet 2002 FIFA World Cup finalists Russia in a friendly fixture. It will also be the first match on the ground's heated pitch, which was not operational last year.

Opened in June
The stadium was actually opened in June 2000, when Estonia hosted a World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands. Such was the interest in the match that the 9,323 tickets were sold out within five hours of going on sale.

Belgian connection
The A Le Coq Brewery is based in Tartu and its roots go back to before the Second World War, when Belgian businessman Albert Le Coq set up a brewery in Estonia.