Press Releases

Budapest, June 21, 2005 11:00

The sponsoring agreement between Magyar Telekom and Matáv FC Sopron football club expires on June 30, 2005. The management of Magyar Telekom has decided that, in view of the change of the company's sponsoring strategy and the need to enhance cost efficiency, it will not continue the sponsoring of the Sopron football team. However, the group very much appreciates the success of the Matáv FC Sopron, and especially the fact that it has qualified to the UEFA Cup finals, so on conclusion of the cooperation Magyar Telekom will donate 15 million HUF to the club.

Magyar Telekom, or more precisely its predecessor Matáv, sponsored the Matáv Sopron football club with over a billion HUF over close to a decade. However, the changes in the market environment in the past few years have caused the company to take cost efficiency measures encompassing all areas of its activity, one of which was the headcount reduction announced last year. In an effort to rationalize costs, the management of Magyar Telekom also reviewed the company's sponsoring activity and decided not to extend the sponsoring agreement with the club on its expiry on June 30, 2005. The decision was also influenced by the fact that at present two popular football teams are connected with the Magyar Telekom Group; besides Sopron, the Ferencváros football club enjoys the support of the group through T-Mobile, and the Magyar Telekom Group does not wish to sponsor two top-of-the-line football clubs simultaneously.

The group highly appreciates the work and achievements of the Matáv FC Sopron football club. Over the past years Matáv FC Sopron has become an internationally recognized professional club, a shining evidence of which is its qualification to the cup finals. So when the cooperation is terminated Magyar Telekom will give the club a one-time donation, a final support, of 15 million HUF to help them do their best in the UEFA Cup rounds, as well.