U-Emirates uthanda ezemidlalo. I-Olympique Lyonnais (OL), okungelinye lamakilabhu ebhola aphambili eFrance namuhla imemezele isivumelwano sokuxhasa iminyaka emihlanu. Ngaphansi kwesivumelwano, i-Emirates izoba uMxhasi Omkhulu Weqembu kusukela ekuqaleni kwesizini ka-2020/2021.
Uphawu lwe-Emirates “Fly Better” oluyingqopha-mlando luzovela ngaphambili kwezimpahla zokuqeqesha zeqembu le-OL kanye namajezi okudlala kuyo yonke imidlalo yeqembu, okuhlanganisa neFrench Championship ne-European Cup kuze kube uJuni 2025. Ngaphezu kokuba ngabaxhasi behembe, isivumelwano sizohlinzeka. I-Emirates enophawu olubonakala kakhulu kuyo yonke i-Groupama Stadium, kanye nezivakashi, amathikithi namanye amalungelo okumaketha.
Ephawula ngobambiswano olusha, uSihlalo kanye noMphathi Omkhulu we-Emirates Group, u-His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum uthe: “Kube yisu lesikhathi eside le-Emirates lokuxhumana nokuxhumana namakhasimende ethu emhlabeni wonke ngezemidlalo. Nge-Olympique Lyonnais, sithole uzakwethu ofana nesithembiso sethu somkhiqizo esithi “Fly Better” sokulwela ukufinyelela emazingeni aphezulu empumelelo, futhi sekuvele kukhona ukuxhumana phakathi kwe-Lyon ne-Dubai nezindiza zansuku zonke ze-Emirates phakathi kwamadolobha womabili. Lokhu kubambisana kungaphezu nje kwesivumelwano sezentengiselwano, kodwa futhi kuqinisa ukutshalwa kwezimali kwe-Emirates kanye negalelo lezomnotho kuzo zombili isifunda saseLyon, kanye neFrance yonkana, izwe lapho sesibe khona cishe iminyaka engamashumi amathathu.
“Sijabule kakhulu ngokuba ne-Olympique Lyonnais, iqembu elihambisana nabalandeli basekhaya nasemhlabeni jikelele, lijoyine iphothifoliyo yethu ehlonishwayo yabaxhasi bebhola.”
I-Olympique Lyonnais inelinye lamarekhodi ebhola ahamba phambili phakathi kwamakilabhu aseFrance futhi ibambe iqhaza kwi-European Cup iminyaka engu-23 ilandelana. Ukungaguquguquki kweqembu, ukuqina kwezemidlalo, kanye nokulandela kwabalandeli abaqotho kube nomthelela esinqumweni se-Emirates sokujoyina iqembu.
UJean-Michel Aulas, uMongameli we-Olympique Lyonnais uthe: “Ukufika kwe-Emirates kumelela ithuba elihle lekilabhu yethu nedolobha lethu. Siyajabula ukuphelezelwa umholi wangempela osezingeni lomhlaba. I-Emirates ihlanganisa ubuhle kanye nekhwalithi yesevisi futhi iwuphawu oluphambili olunomlando ofakazelwe webhola lezinyawo nokuxhaswa kwezemidlalo. Lokhu kubambisana kwesikhathi eside kuyithuba elihle kakhulu kuzo zombili izinhlobo zethu. Sibonga ithimba lase-Emirates ngokusethemba kwalo futhi sibheke ngabomvu ukusebenzisana.”
Ngaphezu kwesikhalo seqembu emhlabeni jikelele, iLyon njengendawo okuyiwa kuyo nayo ibe nomthelela omkhulu ekubambisaneni. Ihlala ibalwa phakathi kwamadolobha aphezulu aseYurophu, iLyon iyachuma njengendawo oya kuyo, ngokombono wezomnotho nowokuvakasha. I-Emirates yaba inkampani yezindiza yokuqala ukuxhuma i-Lyon ne-United Arab Emirates, futhi ngokubanzi yaya e-Middle-East, Eastern Africa kanye ne-South Asian subcontinent nge-Dubai ngenkathi yethula izindiza eziqondile eziya e-Lyon ngo-2012.
Lokhu kubambisana kuqinisa ukuzibophezela kwe-Emirates esifundeni sase-Rhône Alpes, kanye negalelo layo ekukhuleni komnotho ngokuxhuma iLyon neminye yezomnotho okhula ngokushesha emhlabeni yonkana inethiwekhi enkulukazi ye-Emirates yezindawo eziyi-158.
I-Emirates ne-Olympique Lyonnais bazosebenzisana ukuze bafinyelele abalandeli emhlabeni wonke futhi bakhele empumelelweni emangalisayo yeqembu.
Ngaphandle kobambiswano namanye amakilabhu amakhulu ebholeni, i-Emirates iphinde ibe nguzakwethu ohamba phambili wemicimbi yezemidlalo kuyo yonke igalofu, ithenisi, ibhola lombhoxo, ikhilikithi, imijaho yamahhashi kanye nemidlalo yezimoto.
