Melbourne City Football Club has announced Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, as its new principal partner.

The five-year deal and new team kit were unveiled today by Scott Munn, Chief Executive Officer of Melbourne City FC, and James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, at the football clubbs AAMI Park home stadium.

James Hogan said: bEtihad Airways and the City of Melbourne have a special relationship. Itbs not only one of the most popular destinations in our global network, itbs also the home of Etihad Stadium, Melbournebs premier sports and entertainment precinct.

Our new partnership with Melbourne City FC further strengthens our ties with this great city and, we hope, will support the Club and its army of fans in their bid to win the Hyundai A-League.

Its also a valuable addition to our portfolio of sporting partnerships which includes Barclays Premier League champions, Manchester City FC, and their home ground at Etihad Stadium in Manchester.b

Scott Munn said: bWe are very excited about what we are building here at Melbourne City and this new partnership with Etihad Airways underlines our growing potential both on and off the pitch.b

In addition to the branding opportunities, Mr Hogan and Mr Munn also spoke of the broader initiatives that Etihad Airways and Melbourne City FC will work on together which include football schools for children, regular fan competitions, and promotional airfares for Club members and fans.

The Melbourne City squad and management team will fly with Etihad Airways, via Abu Dhabi, for the clubbs pre-season tour of England departing from Melbourne tonight (Monday 7 July).

The Hyundai A-League is run by Football Federation Australia (FFA) and was established in 2004 with the first season of competition in 2005. The A-League currently consists of 10 teams and the season runs from October to May, culminating in a Grand Final.

Etihad Airways operates daily flights between its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport and Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The airline has a First and Business Class Lounge at Sydney International Airport and will open another at Melbourne International Airport in the first half of 2015.

In addition to Melbourne City FC, Etihad Airwaysb sponsorship portfolio includes Melbournebs Etihad Stadium, Manchesterbs Etihad Stadium in Manchester, Manchester City Football Club, the All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, and the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Etihad Airways was voted Worldbs Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards in 2013.

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