Arsenal FC, top-flight London club in the English premier league becomes first premier league club to commit to UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, and reinforces its commitment in tackling climate change, after being ranked as the most sustainable Premier League club in a 2019 study by BBC and the United Nations, backed by Sport Positive Summit.

The UN initiative aims to bring together the global sports community with a commitment to align with the goals of the 2016 Paris climate agreement, which includes “to keep the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 °C (3.6 °F) above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) – recognizing that this would substantially reduce the risks and impacts of climate change,” amongst the rest.

The signatories to this initiative include FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association), the FA (Football Association), the IOC (International Olympic Committee), and Sky Sports. Apart from aligning with the goals of the Paris agreement, Arsenal also supports the ambition to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

The initiative aims to achieve its ambition by adhering to five principles which are:

• Undertaking systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility.
• Reducing overall climate impact.
• Educate on climate action.
• Promote sustainable and responsible consumption.
• Advocate for climate action through communication.

What they are saying

Arsenal’s Operations Director, Hywel Sloman, said: “Arsenal is committed to leading the way on sustainability among Premier League clubs and we are proud to be the first club to sign up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework.

“Together with our partners, we’ve already implemented a number of environmentally-friendly practices across the club. This includes becoming the first Premier League club to switch to 100 per cent green electricity since the beginning of our partnership with Octopus Energy in 2016, and a new partnership with aluminum packaging company, Ball Corporation, which is designed to help us and our millions of fans around the world reduce our impact on the environment.

“We will continue to use the power and reach of Arsenal to inspire our global communities and push each other towards a more sustainable future.”

Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, Sports for Climate Action Lead at UN Climate Change, said, “Football inspires so many of us around the world and there is a remarkable potential for the game to become greener, more climate resilient, and lead by example for millions of global fans. We are delighted to welcome Arsenal as the first Premier League club to the UN Sports for Climate Action community, as we raise awareness of climate change and use this opportunity to make a difference together.”

FC Barcelona has extended its sports sponsorship deal with Rakuten, a global leader in internet services headquartered in Japan, for the 2020/21 season.

The Japanese e-commerce firm, Rakuten will remain as FC Barcelona’s Main Global Partner and Global Innovation and Entertainment Partner, and its brand name will continue to appear on the front of the first team shirt in the 2021/22 season.

The deal began in the 2017-18 season and is due to expire on June 30, 2021. The deal has an option of a fifth year which was available in the original agreement that was executed.

The deal was activated by Josep Maria Bartomeu’s board, before Josep’s resignation in October, and the deal is not reviewable by whoever wins the forthcoming election.

The initial agreement was €55million per year but can rise to €61.5million should all bonuses triggered by winning the Laliga and the Champions League be fulfilled. However, according to reports, the agreement has been reduced due to the financial impact of a post-covid world.

Nigeria international striker, Victor Osimhen has made his European football debut for new club Napoli as he was handed a starting role by the Italian club in Thursday night’s clash against AZ Alkmaar.

Osimhen scored 18 goals in 38 appearances for Lille in the 2019-20 season, before moving to Napoli in a deal reported to be worth €50 million (£45m/$59m), making him Nigeria’s most expensive player in history.

In the game on October 22, Osimhen played as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation but Napoli lost the game 0-1.

The team coached by Gennaro Gattuso’s are in Group F alongside Rijeka, and La Liga giants Real Sociedad.