eircom ends sponsorship of Irish soccer

eircom has announced its decision to end its sponsorship of the Irish soccer team from today.

Over the course of the last decade, eircom has invested some €20m in supporting the national teams, the League of Ireland and other soccer programmes over the past decade.

Paul Donovan, CEO at eircom, said: "2010 marked the eleventh year of eircom’s significant involvement in Irish soccer at all levels. During that time, the company has been proud to be associated with the growth of Irish soccer and the many highlights, from the 2002 World Cup to the 2010 World Cup qualification campaign.

"However, as eircom continues its own transformation programme, it is appropriate that the company closes this current chapter of its sponsorship activities and moves in a different direction.

We wish Irish soccer every success for the future and particularly in the upcoming 2012 European Championship qualifiers."

FAI Chief Executive, John Delaney, said: "eircom have been loyal and good partners to Irish football over the last decade and we thank them for their support. As the company turns a new page in its development, we wish them well for the future."