A collaboration agreement with the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) has been extended by Statoil for a further five years until the end of 2010.
In a somewhat expanded agreement, Statoil will remain the principal sponsor of the successful Norwegian national women's soccer team, and there will be an increased focus on talent and player development.
The group will be the partner for the age-defined national teams for both boys and girls, and will support talent development in regional football associations all over Norway. Statoil will also be the partner for Norway Cup, one of the biggest soccer tournaments in the world for young people.
The collaboration with the NFF means that the group will have ample opportunity to promote itself in the soccer arena.
"Just about everyone has some kind of relationship with football, and through this deal with the NFF we will reach a broad spectrum of the population," says Reidar Gjærum, executive vice president for corporate communication. "Solidarity, teamwork and a healthy competitive spirit are positive values linked to soccer which we would also like to be associated with."
He emphasises that the focus on developing talented players is closely linked to Statoil's business development work.
"Continuous improvement and expertise development are important if we are to strengthen our competitiveness. We see that the NFF and Statoil face similar challenges."
This agreement also reinforces the other sponsor deals the group has in the sports area, including the distribution of free sports shirts to youngsters involved in team sports and the “Statoil Football Academy with Ole Gunnar Solskjær” training programme.
Statoil has collaborated with the NFF since 1993.