This Monday, FC Barcelona and Nestlé Milo officially announced their new sponsorship deal, which is the first such agreement that Nestlé has ever made with a sports club, whereby Barça and the multinational, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, are joining forces to promote the importance of education, nutrition and sport. The private event was attended by FC Barcelona President, Josep Maria Bartomeu; the Club’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Manel Arroyo; and Nestlé SA Executive Vice President, Patrice Bula.

Through this new global deal, the brand becomes an Official Club Sponsor for the next four years in the category of Tonic Food Drink. The agreement also includes the Nestlé Nesquik brand in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Starting from the premise that sport and nutrition go hand in hand, the club and Nestlé Milo (the brand's name in Asia) will be working together to promote a healthier lifestyle and to highlight the importance of physical exercise among children through the different activities included in the deal.

Both entities have extensive experience in the development of youth sports programmes in which education and healthy eating are given plenty of emphasis. Nestlé Milo promotes sport and nutrition programmes where the same values that define the club are represented and in which 22 million children participate worldwide.

The sponsorship deal includes image, association, marketing, publicity, digital, promotion, merchandising and hospitality rights, as well as different activities with FCB Escola.

Statement by the Vice President for Marketing and Communications at FC Barcelona, Manel Arroyo:

“The global sponsorship deal with Nestlé Milo consolidates the attempts to make the club more global and reinforces the club's association with market leaders. Nestlé Milo, like FC Barcelona, believes in the importance of playing sport from a young age as a key tool for learning essential values for children’s development.”

Statement by Executive Vice President of Nestlé SA, Patrice Bula:

“At Nestlé our aim is to educate the youth about sport and nutrition, in order to enhance their quality of life and to contribute to a healthier future. As the world’s largest food manufacturer, with our consumer penetration reach, means we can, and we must make a difference to the lives of kids across the world. By educating the youth about the importance of sport and physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle, we can build a better future for the next generation. Regularly taking part in sport, kids learn from an early age, the values of fairness, effort, respect and confidence. Building on these shared values, we are delighted to partner with FC Barcelona to develop a series of sports programmes designed to encourage more kids to take part in sport and enjoy a balanced diet. With this partnership, we aim to help make a difference to lives of millions of kids across the world.”