Spanish giants Barcelona have positioned themselves to break negotiations with major Swedish clothing brand H&M, over the company’s stance regarding the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China.
As reported in Diario Sport, as well as Catalan outlet Ara, the Blaugrana had been locked in negotiations with the fashion outlet for months, with a view to becoming the main sponsor for the first-team’s walking clothes. Barca are now, though, prepared to look elsewhere.
H&M has maintained a public stance against the Chinese government’s treatment of the ethnic minority group that resides within its borders, with China accused of use of forced labor, crimes against humanity, and even possibly genocide.
In response, H&M was committed to not utilizing cotton imported from the Asian nation in their products. Barcelona, a massive club on a global scale, is said to be keen not to alienate the Chinese market when it comes to retail and other commercial opportunities, which would certainly help to drive revenue streams in a favorable direction given the population of the country and the popularity of football.
The sponsorship deal that was agreed between Barcelona and H&M is rumored to have been valued at up to 3-million Euros.
While Barcelona could yet still decide to go ahead with a deal, the animosity between the Chinese government and global clothing outfitter means that breaking ties with H&M from a business standpoint is hardly a surprise decision.
China has long removed the brand from online retail outlets in the aftermath of the company’s 2020 comments, as well as removing 500 on-site locations from geolocators. With a relationship between the two that appears to be unrecoverable, Barcelona has – rightly or wrongly – sided with the more fruitful economic path.