Emirates airline in $82 million AC Milan shirt deal

Dubai government-owned airline Emirates said it had signed a four-year €60 million ($82 million) shirt sponsorship deal with Italian football team AC Milan.

The Arab world's largest airline, which also sponsors English club Arsenal's stadium in London, will replace Austrian online betting group bwin as AC Milan's shirt sponsor from July, it said on Friday.

Emirates previously sponsored AC Milan in 2007. It already sponsors Paris Saint Germain Football Club and Hamburger SV, while in 2004 Emirates and Arsenal signed the biggest club sponsorship in English football history.

The deal does not include the sale of a stake in the club as some media outlets had previously reported, a source told Reuters on February 8.

Emirates, the largest customer for Airbus's A380 superjumbo, said earlier this month funding its aircraft purchases was not a problem and it would post solid results for 2009.