clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Pele Comes To Gillette Stadium, Announces Humdrum Partnership With Sovereign | Santander

Earlier this week, as the Revolution fan community caught wind of a special announcement involving soccer legend Pele taking place at Gillette Stadium this Thursday, speculation ran wild as to what the news could be. Turns out it didn't quite live up to expectations.

By Corey E. Major
Scott Heavey - Getty Images

Today the New England Revolution welcomed global soccer icon Pele to Gillette Stadium. No, it wasn't to announce the Brazilian as the club's next Designated Player. In fact, it was merely to announce the team's new partnership with Sovereign | Santander, making them the new official bank of the New England Revolution.

Without so much as a whisper from the Revolution until after the press conference concluded, the announcement came as a sort of disappointment to the majority of Revs fans who caught wind of it through various social media outlets earlier in the week and were hoping that the mysterious circumstances surrounding this event would garner some more substantial, buzz-worthy news.

Instead of a new jersey sponsor or some kind of youth academy tie-in (or, dare I say it, news of stadium ground-breaking in Wonderland), the anti-climatic press conference was simply a vehicle to announce the new partnership, which will be primarily focused on community involvement and comes with the tagline "One Team, One Goal."

Per the release on the Revolution's website:

Sovereign | Santander’s agreement with the Revolution also includes day-of-game sponsorships; on-site game day programs; community clinics run by the Revolution Academy and Revs players; naming rights for the team’s official "Man of the Match" award; on-field advertising during Revolution matches; away game trips; as well as television broadcast, radio broadcast, print and digital inventory.

Perhaps most intriguing about the event (as previously mentioned) was that Pele, the legend himself, was present for the announcement. Pele, who is apparently the global spokesperson for the Santander group (who knew!), had this to say (again, per the team's website):

"I have always been a champion of the Santander Group, and Sovereign | Santander’s new commitment to soccer and the community in the U.S. is particularly meaningful to me," Pelé said.

And with that, Revs fans everywhere went about their Thursdays as usual.

More From The Bent Musket