Cosmos announce sponsorship, introduce new facility

Posted

New York Cosmos soccer franchise officials announced on June 4 that they have partnered with Emirates Airline for a multi-year jersey sponsorship as the team prepares to open play in the North American Soccer League on Aug. 3. Two days later, Cosmos officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the county’s Mitchel Field, where the team will be practicing. The Cosmos are currently awaiting word from Empire State Development Corp. on whether their proposal for the construction of a 25,000-seat soccer stadium, hotel, restaurants and retail space at Belmont Park, in Elmont, will be approved.

At a press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan, Cosmos officials, along with the team’s honorary president, the famous soccer player Pele, announced that Emirates Airline will be sponsoring the team’s jerseys for its upcoming comeback season. The Emirates’ name will be on the front of the team’s jerseys. The Cosmos are preparing to play its first season since 1984.

While details of the deal were not revealed, club Chairman Seamus O’Brien and Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ divisional senior vice president, expressed excitement and were confident about the team’s revival.

“We are delighted that we could create this partnership and bring such a world-renowned organization to United States soccer for the first time,” O’Brien said. “There’s no bigger corporate supporter of sports, and soccer in particular, than Emirates. We’re proud and honored that the Cosmos are part of their plans for America and New York in particular.”

“New York has a rich tradition of sport, and Emirates proudly supports some of the world’s top soccer teams,” Sultan said. “Choosing to support the re-launch of the Cosmos back to this amazing city was an obvious choice. Emirates views our partnership with the Cosmos as a way to thank the people of New York for making Emirates one of the world’s fastest growing airlines.”

At the Mitchel Field ribbon-cutting ceremony, Cosmos officials announced that the team had invested $400,000 in rehabilitating the dry dirt field and transforming it into a well-designed and useable practice facility.

County Executive Edward Mangano helped cut the ribbon and said that it was a small step toward making Nassau a sports-entertainment destination that attracts tourism dollars.

Cosmos officials said they hope to have a final decision on the approval of their Belmont Park proposal later this month.