Manchester United have announced a change to their iconic home shirt, confirming that the club willreplace their front-of-shirt sponsor for selected fixtures this spring.
For the second consecutive year, the (RED) logo will appear on the front of United’s famous red shirt, temporarily replacing Snapdragon for two high-profile matches at the end of April.
The men’s team will wear the special-edition shirt against Brentford at Old Trafford on 25 April, followed by the women’s team’s fixture against Tottenham Hotspur in London on 26 April. Both matches are subject to final broadcast scheduling.
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The move forms part of a renewed collaboration between Manchester United, Snapdragon and (RED), aimed at raising awareness and funds in the global fight against health injustice.
Supporters will also be able to buy a limited-edition adidas version of the shirt, with all net profits donated to (RED)’s Global Fund. Additional matching contributions will be made by the Gates Foundation.
Since its launch 20 years ago, (RED)’s Global Fund has raised more than $800m to support life-saving healthcare programmes, while Qualcomm, through its Snapdragon brand, has worked with partners since 2004 to expand access to technology in underserved communities.
The second year of the initiative was officially launched earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, before being rolled out to football’s biggest global stage.
Don McGuire, EVP and chief marketing officer at Qualcomm, said: “Snapdragon’s mission has always been to deliver technology that makes a difference in people’s lives, and our continued support of (RED) reflects that commitment. With billions of Snapdragon-powered devices around the world, we’re helping unlock access to lifesaving healthcare and essential resources that might otherwise be out of reach. As Manchester United’s front-of-shirt partner, we’ve seen, first hand, the global impact of that placement. There’s no better cause to spotlight for Manchester United’s more than one billion fans than (RED) and its fight to end health injustice.”
Marc Armstrong, chief business officer at Manchester United, said the initiative once again demonstrates how the club is using its global reach to drive awareness beyond football. “Through the power and innovation of our partnership with Snapdragon we are, once again, proud to use the front of the famous Manchester United shirt to raise awareness and tell the story of the vital work undertaken by (RED) to fight against health injustice. Snapdragon shares our ambition to use football as a force for good and the second year of this initiative underlines that aspiration, especially at a time when the world faces enormous challenges in supporting the most vulnerable in society.”
Kate Charles, managing director at (RED), added: “It’s hugely exciting to see Snapdragon and Manchester United come together with (RED) for the second year running, connecting football fans around the globe to this important fight. To see the teams – as well as the iconic Old Trafford – decked in (RED) perfectly showcases the power of fan culture to help solve health crises where they hit the hardest.”