LaLiga now sponsors a small Welsh team with a very, very big name
The village shopping mall displays Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch's full name and meaning.
By George Ramsay, CNN
(CNN) — Jude Bellingham, Robert Lewandowski, Luka Modrić – those are just some of the big names currently playing in LaLiga.
Now, the Spanish soccer league has linked up with the biggest name in the sport. Or, more accurately, the longest name: Welsh team Clwb Pêl Droed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Football Club.
The team, based in North Wales and more commonly known as CPD Llanfairpwll FC, is set to be sponsored by LaLiga throughout the current season.
The league’s “LL” logo will appear on the front of Llanfairpwll’s jerseys, which also bear the town’s full, 58-letter name on the club crest.
“This really is an outstanding partnership for us,” Samantha Jones-Smith, the club’s chairwoman, said as part of a LaLiga press release. “Not only is it the most exciting collaboration the club has ever had, but it also allows us to improve both on and off the field.”
According to the press release, the jersey will debut on Saturday as Llanfairpwll, currently playing in the fifth tier of Welsh soccer, faces Holyhead Town.
“We’ve got a great group here who are really committed to bringing success to the club,” said manager Gwydaf Hughes.
“This new partnership with LaLiga brings further professionalism to our side, and I know the lads can’t wait to wear the new kit with pride from this Saturday and throughout the season.”
The coastal village, located on island of Anglesey, is said to have the longest town name in Europe. It’s not the original name, but was devised in the nineteenth century by a local cobbler as a way to attract tourists to the area.
Llanfairpwll, which next year celebrates its 125th anniversary, isn’t the only Welsh team to achieve international distinction. Wrexham, under the ownership of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, has become a globally recognized name in recent years and last season gained promotion to League Two, the fourth tier of English soccer.
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