Barca decide against commercial shirt sponsorship

MADRID, May 9 (Reuters) Spanish champions Barcelona have decided to stick with tradition and not have a sponsors logo on their team shirts.

''The Barcelona shirt will not carry any commercial brand, the decision has been taken,'' club president Joan Laporta told radio station RAC-1 yesterday.

The Catalan club were involved in negotiations with Chinese authorities and Austrian online betting firm BetandWin over shirt sponsorship earlier this season but neither deal materialised.

Laporta confirmed the club was trying to negotiate a new television deal with Spanish television channel La Sexta as part of its plans to increase income and reduce debts, which were running at 188 million euros (240 million dollars) at the start of the year.

Barcelona wrapped up their second league title in a row last week and meet Arsenal in the final of the Champions League in Paris on May 17.

REUTERS DH RK1530