MSC Cruises has signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Japanese professional soccer club V-Varen Nagasaki, its first sporting venture in the key Japanese market

MSC Cruises’ currently partners with English Premier League team Chelsea, French Ligue 1’s Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli in Italy’s Serie A.

The V in V-Varen stands for vitória or ‘victory’ in Portuguese while Varen is Dutch for to sail, representing Nagasaki’s rich heritage as a port of call for Portuguese and Dutch traders in the 16th Century, according to a press release. 

The ambitious football club, which is based in Nagasaki, is owned by one of the country’s leading TV shopping channels Japanet and is developing a 7-hectare site for a new sporting, commercial and entertainment complex set to open in 2023 in the port city which will include a transparent-roofed 23,000-seat stadium.

The line has also signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with Japanet to further promote cruising on a larger scale in Japan.

Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises said: “MSC Cruises and Japanet have much in common, including values and business objectives. We’re both privately-owned, family-run companies with mutual commitments to sustainability and respect for the environment, something deep-rooted in every aspect of our respective businesses. Our similarities in business are also reflected in our joint passion for football and it was only natural that we would come together to support V-Varen Nagasaki.”