WhaleFin End Chelsea Sleeve Sponsorship Deal, Atlético Madrid Next?
- WhaleFin-Chelsea Deal Termination: Crypto firm WhaleFin terminated their €23 million a season sleeve sponsorship with Chelsea after just seven months due to financial difficulties stemming from the FTX collapse.
- Amber Group Financial Struggles: WhaleFin's parent company, Amber Group, has experienced significant financial setbacks, including staff layoffs, office closures, and reduced funding, leading to the Chelsea deal termination.
- Atlético Madrid Sponsorship in Jeopardy: WhaleFin's financial woes and the cancellation of the Chelsea deal raise concerns about the future of their €42 million a season main shirt sponsorship with Atlético Madrid.
Crypto firm WhaleFin have ended there €23 million a season sleeve sponsorship deal with Chelsea after only seven months due to financial difficulties. Could they end their Atlético Madrid sponsorship deal too?
Whalefin End Chelsea Deal
In May 2022, Cryptocurrency firm WhaleFin agreed to pay Chelsea €23 million a season to have their logo appear on the sleeves of their kits. Just seven months later, they have cancelled the deal. WhaleFin is owned by the Singapore-based Amber Group, who have been negatively impacted by the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange and are cutting costs in lots of areas.
Amber Group have reportedly sacked 40% of their staff and sent their remaining employees to work from home, having terminated the leases they had on office space. They have also put European and US expansion plans on hold. The company also fell short in their fund-raising efforts this year, bringing in only half of the expected $100 million. No information has emerged regarding what payments WhaleFin have already made to Chelsea, or how much of the $23 million the club will actually receive in the end.
Bad News for Atlético Madrid?
As well as the Chelsea deal, WhaleFin also signed on as the main shirt sponsor of Atlético Madrid in summer 2022. The contract is worth €42 million a season and is due to run for five years, but the cancellation of the Chelsea deal along with the money saving measures recently undertaken are not good omens. If WhaleFin's financial difficulties continue, they will likely have to reassess the financial commitment of the Atlético deal.
Already known to be highly volatile, the whole crypto sector has suffered from the FTX collapse. WhaleFin pulling the plug on their Chelsea deal, as well as Digitalbits failing to make payments to Inter as part of their agreement should be interpreted as warning signs for any clubs that have partnered with crypto firms, especially Atlético Madrid. Chelsea will be on the hunt for a new sleeve sponsor to fill the gap left by WhaleFin, and Atlético Madrid will likely take some cautionary steps just in case they too will need to find a new partner.
Do you think other crypto firms who have gotten into football club sponsorship will start pulling out of their deals too? Comment below.
Adidas Marseille 27-28
No more Puma - the return of the Three Stripes. More about the Marseille 27-28 kits very soon on Footy Headlines (and already on Kit Creator).
Boca Juniors Tribute: Sint-Truiden 26-27 European Kit Released
Belgian Pro League club Sint-Truidense VV has officially unveiled its new European kit for the 26-27 season, produced by regional brand Olympic. The special strip was revealed during the premiere of the club documentary 'Expeditie Kanarie: de weg naar Europa' at CC De Bogaard, celebrating STVV's historic first qualification for the main stages of European competition in club history.
The Olympic Sint-Truiden 26-27 European jersey draws heavy inspiration from Boca Juniors while paying tribute to the club's iconic late-1980s 'BT-shirt'. It features a royal blue base highlighted by a bold yellow horizontal chest band that accommodates the Maruhan sponsor logo. The STVV crest and Olympic branding are centered neatly above the chest stripe, complemented by yellow trim along the V-neck collar and sleeve cuffs. Matching blue shorts and yellow socks complete the look.
Sint-Truiden will wear the new kit throughout their 26-27 UEFA Conference League league phase campaign, where their fixtures include matchups against Ajax, Hajduk Split, SK Brann, FC Midtjylland, FC Lugano, and FC Iberia 1999 Tbilisi.
England Wears Red Away Against Croatia | 7-0 Victory
England took the pitch in their red 2026 away kit on Saturday night and delivered a historic performance, sweeping aside Croatia 7-0 in their UEFA Nations League clash at Stadion HNK Rijeka. The Three Lions lined up in their striking "Speed Red" jersey paired with obsidian navy shorts and red socks, switching from their primary white home uniform to avoid a kit clash with Croatia's famous red-and-white checkered home design.
The red and navy proved to be a good contrast, as Croatia's kit has white sleeves, shorts and socks - No problems with the red checkers. England dominated from the opening whistle to hand Croatia the heaviest defeat in their football history. Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka each scored twice, Jude Bellingham delivered an outstanding performance with a goal and three assists, and Anthony Gordon and substitute Morgan Rogers also found the back of the net to complete the ruthless display.
Nike reintroduced the classic red colorway for England's 2026 away strip, combining the vibrant red base with deep obsidian and crisp white accents along the collar and side inserts. Red away shirts hold a celebrated place in England's history, and Saturday's emphatic seven-goal triumph in Rijeka adds another memorable chapter to the look.
Nîmes Olympique 26-27 Octobre Rose Kit Released
French club Nîmes Olympique has officially unveiled a special kit for Octobre Rose, joining the campaign to raise breast cancer awareness. Produced by local brand Eldera, the limited-edition jersey was launched ahead of the team's home clash against Hyères at the Stade des Antonins.
The Eldera Nîmes Olympique 26-27 Octobre Rose shirt is predominantly soft pink, detailed with an intricate vertical jacquard-style pattern running through the fabric. All application details are rendered in crisp monochrome white, including the Eldera chest logo, the simplified club crest, and the city's emblematic crocodile and palm tree motif. The front of the shirt features "Passion 1937", the club's recently formed endowment fund, alongside white paneling along the flanks and striped trim on the collar and cuffs.
Priced at €69, the commemorative kit went on sale in very limited quantities at the stadium boutique. The shirts worn by the squad during the match will be auctioned off following the final whistle to raise funds directly for breast cancer screening and research initiatives.
PSG 27-28 Home Kit Leaked
Based on leaked details from myach_lab, our partner @whatthekit_x have created a mockup of the PSG 2027-28 home shirt. The iconic blue-red Hechter stripe remains, while the shirt gradually fades into a darker shade towards the bottom, with a red collar section connecting to the central stripe.
