Gazprom interested in buying and sponsoring AZ Alkmaar

It was reported by De Telegraaf (The Telegraph), a Dutch newspaper, that the world’s largest gas company and Russia’s largest company Gazprom is looking to buy Dutch club AZ Alkmaar. The club is participating in this season’s UEFA Champions League and is the only Dutch representative in the top European competition after winning the Eredivisie. Reportedly, the club is for sale at a very cheap price of 35 million Euros, which for Gazprom is surely petty cash considering their unrivalled market share. Not only will the company buy the club, but it will also buy the stadium and naming rights, and sponsor the shirts. AZ’s previous sponsor DSB Bank went bust, and the club has been without a shirt sponsor since the 19th October, when the Amsterdam court officially declared the bank to be bankrupt.

Gazprom currently own and sponsor Zenit St Petersburg, as well as German club Schalke 04. Interestingly, the gas titans pay Schalke 25 million Euros per season for shirt sponsorship, and the club does not even play in the Champions League. Hence, buying Champions League club Alkmaar for just 35 million Euros is seen as a huge bargain by the company. Gazprom had already tried to enter the Dutch market but they failed in an attempt to buy FC Volendam as it was relegated.