Lleida basketball club Força Lleida will be renamed Ilerna Lleida from 1 July after agreeing a new main sponsorship deal with local vocational training company Ilerna.
The agreement covers three seasons and includes an option to extend it. Club president Albert Aliaga and Ilerna chief executive Jordi Giné presented the new name at Ilerna's headquarters in the Neoparc industrial estate in Lleida, replacing previous sponsor Hiopos Lleida.
The new identity carries the slogan, “A new name, the same strength”. Aliaga said the deal was “fundamental” to keeping the club linked to a Lleida-based company, and added that the new sponsor is making a “significant effort”.
Força Lleida expects to finish the current year with a budget of about €5.8 million, and to start next year at around €6 million. The club did not disclose the financial terms of the sponsorship.
Aliaga and Giné said the two organisations share a similar outlook and described them as “two ambitious projects”. Giné said the aim is to take the name of Lleida further afield while staying rooted in the territory, but added that the club must first secure its place in the league.
The deal also includes opportunities for Ilerna students to work with the club on match days, giving them practical experience. Força Lleida said its season ticket campaign for the coming season is expected to be announced next week. For more local coverage, see news.