Congo scolds Rwanda, then pays Barcelona 40M for jerseys

Barcelona secured a sponsorship agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo worth more than 40 million euros across four seasons. The Central African nation will display tourism branding on team training and warm-up uniforms for both men's and women's squads. Annual payments range between 10 million and 11.5 million euros according to the June 29 contract. Congo has also signed similar partnerships with AS Monaco and AC Milan as part of its international repositioning strategy. Tourism minister Didier M'Pambia described these deals as efforts to promote the country as an African leader despite ongoing regional conflicts.