Premier League clubs Bayern Munich, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain agreed a new sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola on Thursday as the drinks brand looks to increase its football range.
The , clubs join FIFA and the FA in commercial deals with the sugary drinks company, and the deals have sparked concern among health professionals who warn of the impact on children’s health.
Professor David Strain, chairman of the Research Council of the British Medical Association (BMA), is calling for a crackdown on junk food advertising in sport.
“The UK is under an obesity epidemic, which is having a devastating impact on people’s health and lives, public services and the economy,” he said.
“It’s absurd that some of the foods and drinks that contribute so heavily to the obesity crisis have been so closely associated with sports through commercial deals for so long.
“Especially because of the impact of advertising on children and how they relate to his children. favorite sports teams and personalities, such sponsorship deals can have truly detrimental effects.
“The BMA has long called for a crackdown on junk advertising in sport, and this is even more important now that the new government appears to be reversing previous promises to tackle obesity. It’s about time those links were cut once and for all.
This that view is shared by other health professionals, including Katharine Jenner, obesity head of the Health Alliance, who told Telegraph Sport: “The use of sports sponsorship as a marketing tactic to sell sugary drinks is particularly problematic for children’s health. Children. across the country follow their favorite teams avidly and invest in everything related to their team, including – as research shows – the people behind the sponsorship deals.
Coca-Cola already has a long history of sponsorship in football, including adding its name to the League Cup in the mid-1990s and the Football League between 2004 and 2010.
In a statement, the drinks company says it has always had a direct marketing policy of not advertising to children under 16, but added that this new campaign will put Coca-Cola Zero Sugar first across all channels.