PTK Centertel clinches Football League sponsorship rights

PTK managed to push aside its competitor Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (PTC), which operates the Era network. PTC reportedly offered 17% less than Centertel for the sponsorship rights. However, PTC says that its offer was more comprehensive and aside from funds for first division clubs, it also included money for second division teams and youth training. "But the [selection] commission decided that money for first division teams is the only thing that matters," said PTC's director of corporate communications Andrzej Mielniczuk. The league's official title will now include the Idea name, but the specific wording has not yet been decided. It is also not clear, how the money from Centertel will be shared between football clubs, although Zbigniew Koźmiński, president of the Polish Football League (PLP), said that teams' performance and media appeal would be taken into account. Centertel's main shareholder, TP SA, is the sponsor of the national football team. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 35) T.J.