{"slug": "ifs-and-chelsea-reaffirm-partnership-but-ai-firm-wont-be-front-of-shirt", "title": "IFS and Chelsea reaffirm partnership but AI firm won’t be front-of-shirt", "summary": "Industrial AI firm IFS has reaffirmed its global partnership with Chelsea FC but will no longer serve as the club's front-of-shirt sponsor. The expanded deal will embed IFS technology into Chelsea's football operations, while the club seeks a new shirt sponsor reportedly asking for £40m per season.", "body_md": "# IFS and Chelsea reaffirm partnership but AI firm won’t be front-of-shirt\n\nIndustrial AI firm IFS has reaffirmed commitment to its global partnership with Chelsea but will not remain the Premier League club’s front-of-shirt sponsor.\n\nIFS appeared on the front of Chelsea’s shirts for the latter part of last season, having signed a three-year contract with the US-owned West London side in February.\n\nBut their expanded partnership, which will see IFS embedded into Chelsea’s football operations, will see them move off the main shirt spot.\n\nAn IFS spokesperson told *City AM*: “IFS’s partnership with Chelsea was structured from day one to run through 2028, with the front-of-shirt sponsorship last season representing the first phase of that agreement.”\n\nThe deal will see IFS used for “real-time visibility across legal entities, currencies and reporting lines”, and “guided, end-to-end buying process from request through approval and supplier collaboration”. The club has said AI can help its plans to become one of the most advanced in the world.\n\nChelsea will be managed by Xabi Alonso this season after a tumultuous season which saw the club finish 10th in the [Premier League](https://www.cityam.com/city-am-football-power-list-explained-what-it-is-who-judges-it-and-how-ranking-works/).\n\n## Chelsea expand IFS deal\n\n[Added](https://www.ifs.com/en) IFS: “As Chelsea’s global partner from next season, our relationship with the club continues and is now expanding significantly, with IFS technology and industrial AI embedded across Chelsea’s operations as part of a long-term programme.”\n\nAdded Chelsea chief finance officer Adriel Lares: “Advanced technology is transforming the way businesses operate and we are excited to be moving into the next phase of our partnership with IFS to realise the opportunities AI software presents.”\n\nChelsea are on the lookout for a new front-of-shirt sponsor and are reportedly asking for £40m per season for the honour.\n\n[A number of Premier League](https://www.cityam.com/how-high-net-worth-individuals-can-rival-private-equity-in-sport/) clubs have been forced into looking for new front-of-shirt sponsors after the introduction of a voluntary ban on betting and casino brands came into force at the end of the season.\n\nBut Chelsea have played with a number of short-term front-of-shirt partners since the end of their deal with telecommunications giant Three, with Infinite Athlete, Damac Properties and IFS each having brief stints.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/ifs-and-chelsea-reaffirm-partnership-but-ai-firm-wont-be-front-of-shirt", "canonical_source": "https://www.cityam.com/ifs-and-chelsea-reaffirm-partnership-but-ai-firm-wont-be-front-of-shirt/", "published_at": "2026-07-06 13:00:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-07 01:23:30.265586+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-products", "ai-tools"], "entities": ["IFS", "Chelsea FC", "Premier League", "Adriel Lares", "Xabi Alonso", "Three", "Infinite Athlete", "Damac Properties"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/ifs-and-chelsea-reaffirm-partnership-but-ai-firm-wont-be-front-of-shirt", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/ifs-and-chelsea-reaffirm-partnership-but-ai-firm-wont-be-front-of-shirt.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/ifs-and-chelsea-reaffirm-partnership-but-ai-firm-wont-be-front-of-shirt.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/ifs-and-chelsea-reaffirm-partnership-but-ai-firm-wont-be-front-of-shirt.jsonld"}}