Banrisul takes shirt-front sponsorship at Grêmio and Internacional

Banrisul will become the front-of-shirt sponsor of Grêmio and Internacional for the remainder of the Brazilian league season, extending its longstanding relationships with both Porto Alegre rivals.The bank will pay equal amounts to the two clubs under agreements covering men’s league fixtures, with the sponsorship excluding other competitions and their women’s teams.Banrisul president Fernando Lemos said: “Grêmio and Internacional are part of the lives of millions of people in Rio Grande do Sul. They are clubs that span generations, bring families together and carry a history intertwined with that of our state.“When football in Rio Grande do Sul takes to the pitch, Banrisul plays alongside it. And we want to see Grêmio and Internacional supporters mobilised, supporting their teams until the final round.”The agreements move the bank’s branding into the most prominent position on both shirts after changes in the sponsorship market left the clubs seeking alternatives.Grêmio president Odorico Roman acknowledged that sharing a main sponsor with Internacional differed from his administration’s original commercial plans.Roman said: “During the campaign, we said we would seek a different sponsor for each club, allowing each to work within its own market and marketing approach. But the main sponsorship market became somewhat unsettled this year.“We had a sponsor, but lost them at the turn of the year, when brands had already settled their plans. Grêmio, Inter and other clubs were left without one.”Brazil’s prohibition on betting operations has subsequently created further uncertainty for clubs reliant on the sector, prompting replacement deals, suspensions and renegotiations across the game.Roman described Banrisul’s approach as a gesture of support to both clubs during that disruption, rather than the outcome of their initially separate sponsorship strategies.The bank has partnered with Grêmio and Internacional for 25 years and spent much of that period occupying the shirt-front position.Internacional president Alessandro Barcellos said: “We are talking about a historic partnership that has been present at landmark moments for Internacional. In such a special year for the club, it is a pleasure to strengthen this connection with an institution that has such a close relationship with the people of Rio Grande do Sul.”The clubs have not negotiated an extension for 2027, with decisions dependent on both the future of Brazil’s betting restrictions and a change in the state government.Grêmio could see betting brand Pitaco return to the main sponsorship position if the legal framework permits, while any renewed Banrisul agreement would require approval from the incoming state administration.The current arrangement therefore provides additional funding through the league’s closing rounds while leaving both clubs’ longer-term shirt sponsorship positions open.