Founded by Lebanese businessman George Altris, Capelli is today the national football team’s only sponsor. The sports equipment provider looks to boost his media exposure through this partnership but is also motivated by its owner’s passion for Lebanese football that made him decide to equip the national basketball team, as well as local clubs and university teams.
Only one entity currently sponsors the Lebanese Football Federation: Capelli is the official sports equipment provider for the national football team. The absence of announcers surely hinders the development of the Lebanese football ecosystem.
Lebanese football is suffering, much like other sports, from the lack of state funding targeting structural reforms that would enhance stadium quality and professionalize players’ practice of the sport. On the short term, improving football in Lebanon requires backing from sponsors and the private sector. If the two are aware of the local championship and the national team’s international games’ prospects, they might support this sport, which happens to be the most popular one worldwide.
Today, Capelli is Lebanese football’s only sponsor
In his interview with This is Beirut, Khalil Salemeh, general manager of Capelli Liban, states that “we first signed a 5-year contract with the Lebanese Football Federation, and it ended after the 2021-2022 season. We just renewed it for another five years, until 2027. There were 4 or 5 selection categories when we first partnered with the LFF. Now, there are eleven, including the futsal national team, the women’s team, and the other age categories”. Salemeh chose not to disclose information pertaining to the partnership’s budget.
As with any professional sponsorship partnership, media exposure is one of the announcer’s main objectives; Salemeh highlights that “thanks to this partnership, we have more exposure when it comes to the federation’s TV and digital broadcasting. It’s a win-win situation. We equip them and sponsor them, they give us exposure”.
Aside from the economic aspect, Capelli’s partnership with the Lebanese Football Federation is also motivated by George Altris’ love for his native country. Photo: Talal Salman
Capelli’s founder, a sports enthusiast
Capelli has made a name for itself in the world of sports, well before its partnership with the Lebanese Football Federation. Salemeh explains that, initially, “this international brand, founded by George Altris, made clothes for women and children before adding sports equipment to its menu, 10 years ago. Mr. Altris is passionate about football. We started making designs for football, then we spread our activities worldwide. First, we were in the US, then in Europe, then in Lebanon, Mr. Altris’ homecountry. His passion for sports and Lebanon made him dream of achieving wonders in the world of sports, whether in basketball or football. 90% of our attire is for football. We focus mainly on football. That explains our partnership with the Lebanese Football Federation and the national teams”.
Salemeh added that “aside from the national football team, we also sponsor the basketball national team and the La Sagesse football and basketball teams. In the past, we had partnerships with Safa, Nejmeh, Salam Zgharta, and Racing. We are also the sports equipment provider for USEK and have partnered with LAU before”.
Aside from the economic aspect, Capelli’s partnerships are also motivated by the brand owner’s humanism and attachment to Lebanon. In this context, Salemeh highlights that “after all, Capelli was founded by a Lebanese man, even though it is based in the US and the designs and development are done abroad. It is important for us to help Lebanon and we hope the national teams and clubs will deliver good results, as their success is our success”.
Capelli’s renewed partnership shows trust in Lebanese football that can only be developed through a better commercial approach from the Lebanese Football Federation to the private sector. This first partnership could indeed serve as a model for the LFF to conduct brand tracking studies – to show the importance of an announcer in terms of notoriety and image – and better understand the usefulness of advertising and media exposure during game broadcasts.