Why Aston Villa's new sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda is so controversial and how much it's worth
Aston Villa have finally confirmed their front-of-shirt sponsor for the upcoming campaign.
Financial issues have been rife at Villa Park over the years and this summer has been no different.
There have been plenty of reasons for that and it looks set to spark widespread change in B6.
It has certainly been worsened by the Premier League's ban on betting sponsors for front-of-shirt.
That meant Betano's deal couldn't be renewed as we knew it and left the door open for a new partnership.
It has taken an age, but a deal has finally been agreed, but it will certainly ruffle some feathers in the Midlands and beyond.
How much will Aston Villa earn from Visit Rwanda deal?
After weeks of waiting, the claret and blue faithful finally have the answer they have been waiting for.
Visit Rwanda has now been named as the new front-of-shirt sponsor for Aston Villa.
There was potential that Audi could sponsor the Villans, as covered by Villa News, but that hasn't happened.
The tourism board has now taken its place on shirts in B6 ready for the new campaign and will also be Official Tourism Partner and Official Coffee Provider.
The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the deal is the most lucrative in Villa's history at up to £20million-per-year if bonuses are met.
That is reportedly more than Betano were paying after a "long period" of work from President of Business Operations, Francesco Calvo.
A separate report from football finance journalist Lukasz Baczek on Tuesday suggests that the betting firm will now take their place as Villa's sleeve sponsor as a replacement for Trade Nation.
That has seen the B6 outfit finally complete their shirt for the upcoming season, but have done so in controversial fashion.
Why is Visit Rwanda a controversial sponsor for Aston Villa?
The tourism board has been associated for football for a while now after sponsorship deals with Arsenal, Bayern Munich and PSG over the years.
These agreements with some of the biggest clubs in the world have been described by many as "sportswashing" which is the use of sports by political figures to help divert the attention of what is going on in their country.
A deal with Arsenal was described as "blood stained" by DR Congo's Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba in 2023 due to the 4,000 active troops in the DRC at the time.
The Rwanda Development Board hit back at that statement suggesting it was done to "undermine" them with "misinformation and political pressure".
They claimed that Visit Rwanda actually "showcases Rwanda's commitment to peace, stability, and inclusive growth".
Villa fans can make their own judgements on all of this, but regardless, it just isn't a good look for anyone involved.