Manchester United on Thursday officially announced the signing of a contract with blockchain company Tezos for a £24 million annual sponsorship of training equipment, the exact number of years not announced, but at least 3 years. During the day's training, stars such as Ronaldo, De Gea and Cavani and interim coach Ronnick have all put on training clothes with a new brand name.
The Tezos logo will also appear on the training clothes of the Manchester United women's football team. The deal replaces Aon Insurance, whose contract expired last year, as United's training shirt sponsor, but unlike the previous contract, Tezos' agreement does not include naming rights at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.
Blockchain can provide secure digital transactions without the need for a third party, and its cryptocurrency system is also a new product that has become famous in recent years. Manchester United stressed that compared with some competitors, Tezos is also environmentally friendly, in addition to showcasing the Tezos brand on training equipment, the two sides will also bring new experiences to fans through blockchain, as well as benefit the younger generation of the community through the Manchester United Foundation.
After winning the 24 million annual training clothes sponsorship contract, the next step for Manchester United's new president, Richard Arnold, is to continue to find sponsors and buy the naming rights of the team's training ground. For the past few years, it has been called "Aon Insurance Training Centre" and is now temporarily restoring its old name to Carrington.
The Manchester United general, dressed in a new shirt, is preparing for Saturday's home game against Southampton, and the Saints beat Tottenham Hotspur away in midweek to help Manchester United in the Premier League's four major battles. However, if you can't beat your opponents over the weekend, it's pointless. With Arsenal beating Wolves 1-0, United have slipped to 6th in their current rankings. But as long as they ensure a home win over Southampton, Manchester United are expected to return to the top four again, because Tottenham Hotspur are not playing well against Wolves in this round, West Ham are not playing well against Leicester City, and Arsenal have Chelsea games postponed because the Blues play Club World Cup. Moreover, this game is early, and Manchester United can temporarily enter the top four by winning the game, putting mental pressure on opponents who will play later.
In the first leg of the season, Manchester United drew 1-1 with the Saints at St. Mary's Stadium, and if it were not for De Gea's consecutive saves, it would be difficult to retreat. However, United have an advantage over Southampton at Old Trafford, winning 9-0 last season to tie the Premier League and the biggest score in team history. The Red Devils have played against the Saints in 130 matches in all competitions, and so far United have the upper hand with 67 wins, 36 draws and 27 defeats.
Carrington's pre-match training saw a comeback from Brazilian left-back Tres after contracting COVID-19 for the second time and having to miss the last two games. But his Brazilian compatriot Fred, who still tested positive for covid-19, may not have the opportunity to play in Southampton. Also sidelined with injuries is Eric Bai, who returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, whose ankle swelling has not yet been resolved. The only personnel change in United's training is that Tahith Chong, a Chinese-Dutch right winger who has returned to the team for treatment due to injury, has returned to Birmingham after injury to continue his loan trip this season.
The rest of the United players remain healthy and available at Ronnick's disposal. The German's biggest problem, of course, is the use of 37-year-old Cristiano Lunardo, the Portuguese superstar as a substitute in midweek, after the draw between the two sides, he is not in a good mood, and it is expected that against Southampton, Cristiano Ronaldo will return to the starting lineup.