Athleta, a sub-brand of the American clothing retailer Gap, has signed a sponsorship deal in Shanghai with Xufang Football Club.

The deal will see the sportswear brand support the Shanghai-based futsal club from the beginning of the 2015/2016 season to the end of the 2016/2017 season. Xufang players will wear Athleta shirts when they compete in the CFA Futsal League, FA Futsal Cup, Shanghai Chenyi Cup and Yanfeng Cup. The financial details have not been disclosed as of now.

This is not the first time that the brand has sponsored the club as there was a sponsorship arrangement in place during the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 seasons.

Athleta, a women’s active apparel company, now based in Petaluma, Calif., was founded in 1935 by the Brazilian company Maryaria·Santa Isabell. It sells yoga, running, skiing, snowboarding and surfing gear online and by catalogue. In 1958, Athleta became the official shirt suppliers to the Brazilian national teams. In September 2008, Gap Inc. acquired the sportswear company for about $150 million. 

Source: Xufang FC

Proofread by John Devlin