Inter renew Pirelli shirt sponsorship deal

Milanese automobile tyre firm Pirelli and Serie A football club Inter Milan have agreed a new three-year kit deal that is worth US$11.1 million a year.

Pirelli has been Inter's sponsor since 1995.

The deal came as a slight surprise to many sports analysts due to last year's comments by Pirelli's president, Marco Tronchetti Provera. "Without cups it does not make sense for Pirelli to continue the sponsorship. Pirelli-Inter? Football is a vehicle of great importance worldwide. If Inter are relegated to national football it makes no sense for Pirelli to continue", Provera said of the club's poor on-field performances.

But Inter appear to be improving gradually this season. They are currently fifth in the Serie A; 12 points behind league leaders Juventus F.C.