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Sunday November 4, 2007

KIA ends FC Brussels sponsorship over racist remarks

BRUSSELS: South Korean car maker Kia Motors has ended its sponsorship of Belgian First Division side FC Brussels over racist remarks allegedly made by the club’s president to an African player, a KIA spokesman said.

Kia Motors Belgium said on Friday it had decided to end its sponsorship deal – which involved 160,000 euros a year and 20 vehicles – over the remarks.

The Asian car maker also sponsors the Belgian national team.

“That for us is really a bridge too far,” said Marc Coopmans, communications manager for Kia Motors Belgium.

“Kia Motors Belgium and Kia Motors as such cannot associate their image, their principles, their values, with a club who are represented by their president in such a way.”

Coopmans said 10% of employees at Kia Motors Belgium were of non-European origin, “so it’s really a touchy thing for us”.

News reports said Congolese international Matumona Zola ended his contract after FC Brussels president Johan Vermeersch told a players’ meeting following a string of bad results that he should think of something else other than “trees and bananas”.

Gino Gelaen, commercial manager at FC Brussels, declined to comment. He said Vermeersch was out of the country and unavailable for comment. – Reuters

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