In a contract that will go down well with Sir Alex Ferguson, leading South American producer and exporter of premium branded wines Concha y Toro has been confirmed as United's official wine partner. A renowned wine expert, Ferguson has already given his seal of approval and admitted: "This is a partnership that unites the two great passions of Latin America: football and wine. I am looking forward to it." More pertinently, as far as United are concerned, it continues a string of recent high-profile sponsorship announcements following the club's decision to adopt a new commercial strategy under the Glazer family's ownership. Eyebrows were raised when a satellite marketing operation was launched in London two years ago, but the results have been clear to see. Working under the guidance of chief of staff Ed Woodward, United's commercial arm has now completed 20 deals, raking in over £200million, with the prospect of more to come. Even though they lost their Premier League title this term, United's continuing global popularity is now working to much more financial benefit than has previously been the case. It is presumably one of the reasons why the Glazer family continue to insist they have no intention of selling the club, despite massive debts. The 'Red Knights' group hope to test their resolve with a £1billion offer at some point before the World Cup begins in South Africa on June 11.
