Manchester City look East with latest commercial signing

Manchester City have renewed their partnership with Saigon Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB).

The multi-year extension will see the Vietnamese firm remain MCFC’s official affinity card partner across Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Further, youngsters in Vietnam will have the opportunity to train and develop their on-pitch skills with coaches from City Football Schools.

The launch of the first Manchester City Debit Card marked the signing of the original partnership with SHB, so to celebrate the renewal, City have this morning (October 3) announced plans to release a co-branded SHB-MCFC Visa Credit card.

The senior vice-president of partnerships with Blues owner City Football Group, Damian Willoughby, said of the extended agreement: “Our partnership with SHB has grown from strength to strength over the last two years and we believe that together we can continue to provide SHB’s loyal customers with real value and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

“Our fan base in South East Asia includes some of the most enthusiastic Manchester City supporters in the world and their passion for football is inspiring.”

He added: “In partnership with SHB, we look to continue offering them greater opportunities to connect with the club and sport they love.”

The deal with SHB is the latest move in a campaign to increase the club’s presence in Vietnam. In July last year, City took on the Vietnamese national team at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi before a crowd of 40k.

Nguyen Van Le, the CEO of Saigon Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank, commented: “We share Manchester City’s commitment to providing young people with opportunities on and off the pitch.

“Together we want to bring young people in the region together using football as an effective bridge connecting inspiration, friendship building and life skills training.”