MOL Group becomes Hungarian Football Federation’s newest sponsor

According to mlsz.hu, President of the Hungarian Football Federation Sándor Csányi and President and CEO of the MOL Group Zsolt Hernádi announced a new sponsorship deal on Wednesday at a press conference held at the MLSZ headquarters.

The sponsorship deal made between the federation and the MOL Group is for HUF 285 million (€ 0.9 million) in the coming year, in addition to which the MOL Group will guarantee HUF 2 billion (€ 6.3m) from TAO corporate donations towards MLSZ projects. The MOL Group has previously supported the endeavours of the MLSZ, albeit not as a main sponsor but to a lesser degree; the two organisations ran the OTP-MOL Bozsik Programme until 2013, after which the oil company sponsored the Women’s Hungarian Cup final on two occasions.

“It is a great honour for us, as a sponsor of the MLSZ, to be the main backer of the national team”, said Zsolt Hernádi following the announcement. “I am certain that we will also contribute to the team successfully representing the country in the future and continuing on the path it has recently set out on. Football sponsorship is not new to MOL; we previously participated in the revival of the Bozsik Programme, initiating change in football. We have also sponsored Videoton FC, one of the most successful Hungarian teams of the past decade and through INA we are also sponsors of the Croatian national team. I don’t think a country has ever waited (with as much anticipation) to take part at a major football tournament as Hungary has. The national team has shown that every challenge can be overcome with belief, desire and hard work; I’d like to thank everyone who has made it possible for us to once again to support the national team at a major tournament. This summer should be about supporting – at the European Championship, at the ice hockey World Cup and at the Olympic Games; let Hungary be a country of ten million supporters!”

Sándor Csányi thanked the MOL Group for its support, adding that from the HUF 2 billion TAO corporate donation the Hungarian Football Federation would continue to finance its pitch-construction programme.

“In the old days, young footballers would learn the game on the grund (vacant plots of land), and even if today youngsters don’t spend as much time playing football as once was the case, the pitch-construction programme brings great benefit to football. On behalf of the MLSZ, as well as the clubs, institutes, schools and municipalities where pitches will be built in the future, I’d like to thank MOL for their support and the monies they are providing”, said the President of the Hungarian Football Federation, who, concerning preparations for the European Championship, let it be known that the national team would also play a friendly against another European footballing heavyweight in May, following on from the announcement the same day that Hungary would host Croatia in March.

Source: en.mlsz.hu