The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Spanish club Barcelona FC announced at the end of July that they had reached a four-year agreement with the aim of promoting football and the culture of sport and peace. The initiative divides opinion, as it follows the signing of similar partnerships with AS Monaco and AC Milan in June.
According to the announcement made by both parties, the Club will contribute, as part of this agreement, to enriching the training of young athletes in the country through the transmission of its ecosystem of values. It also includes the creation and development of a sports activities program for children in the region to promote structured and inclusive development in various key disciplines, including football, basketball, and handball.
Furthermore, all professional teams of FC Barcelona will wear the slogan “R.D. Congo – Heart of Africa” on the back of their training jerseys for the next four seasons, until the summer of 2029. The project also includes the installation of a device called “House of DRC” at the Spotify Camp Nou, the stadium of the Spanish club, which will take the form of an immersive exhibition aimed at showcasing Congolese cultural diversity and sports tradition to visitors of the renovated venue.
The Catalan club will also be responsible for organizing four five-day training camps per season for 50 players at its facilities in Spain. “Through sports, we are building the progress of our country,” commented Didier Budimbu, the Congolese Minister of Sports, on X.
While the official statement does not mention the amount of this agreement, several sources mention a sum of over 43 million euros that the DRC will have to pay to the Catalan club. It is reported that the DRC will therefore pay between 10 and 11.5 million euros to FC Barcelona annually over the next four years.
It is worth noting that the DRC, which aims to host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2029, also has contracts with AS Monaco and AC Milan. The agreement with the French club amounts to nearly 4.8 million euros over three years, compared to 42 million euros over three years for the Italian club.
Some consider the advertising campaign to be ill-timed, as they believe that the sports sector in the DRC is underfunded. Part of civil society notably mentions a struggling national championship and inadequate infrastructure in several cities.
