Schalke announce supermarket sleeve badge sponsor worth €20 million

Schalke have announced an online supermarket as their new sleeve badge sponsor in a four-year deal worth €20 million.

From the 2017-18 season on, Bundesliga clubs can market their sleeve badge individually instead of one corporate sponsor for all 36 teams of Germany's upper two tiers.

On Wednesday, Schalke announced they've struck a deal with Deutsche Post-owned online supermarket allyouneed. Local paper WAZ reported that it secures the Bundesliga side an annual payment of €5m plus bonuses and the badge is set to include an integrated chip which will have a payment function to be used at Schalke's Veltins Arena.

"We are proud to be able to present a world first with the chip integrated into the jersey," Alexander Jobst, Schalke's marketing executive, said on the club's official website. "This underlines our position as innovation leaders in Bundesliga once again."

Allyouneed CEO Jens Drubel added that Schalke's "innovative character perfectly fits our aspiration to redefine the market for online food trade."

The statement added that the chip is still in the development phase and club and sponsor have further plans to "fill the partnership with life."

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