New Series Hopes To Score With Football Fans

A NEW motor racing series combining fast cars and football could bring in extra millions for clubs like AC Milan and Barcelona if it kicks off as planned next year.

‘Superleague Formula’ organisers went public with their plans yesterday, proposing an initial six race season from August 2008 with some 20 single-seater cars competing in the colours of leading soccer clubs.

They aim to expand eventually to a maximum of 17 races, mostly in Europe and at circuits familiar to followers of Formula One and MotorGP.

Four clubs – European soccer giants AC Milan, Porto, PSV Eindhoven and Greece’s Olympiakos – have signed up already to a project that offers them revenue through licensing agreements, sponsorship and TV rights.

“An average top club could raise between 14 to 18m euros (RM81m) in the five years of the contract that we are aiming for Spanish sports marketing specialist Alex Andreu, who has developed the idea with Briton Robin Webb, told Reuters.

Superleague said others currently in talks included Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Inter Milan, Argentina’s Boca Juniors, Brazil’s Flamengo, Mexico’s America, South Korea’s Suwon Bluewings and China’s Shanghai Shenhua.

Manchester United and other British clubs have been approached. Turkey’s Galatasaray, Germany’s Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund, Gothenburg of Sweden, Belgium’s Anderlecht, Frances’s Olympique Marseille and Lyon are also on the list of candidates along with Lokomotiv Moscow.

“We think that by combining these two large sports we could become a real potential big even in the years to come,” continued Andreu.

“What motor racing brings is obvious; it’s technology, cars, noise, glamour. What football brings is the heart, the passion and the emotions” – Reuters