Aston Villa warned over ‘Sportswashing’ after £20m visit Rwanda sponsorship deal

Aston Villa have been warned that their new £20 million-a-year sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda will be used by the African nation to “sportswash” its human rights record. The tourist board will replace Betano on the front of Villa’s shirts for the men’s, women’s, and academy teams in a multi-year agreement, which the Premier League club has branded “the most important sponsorship deal in the history of the football club.”

However, Amnesty International UK’s head of campaigns, Felix Jakens, has raised concerns about the deal, stating that Rwanda is using sportswashing to deflect attention from its human rights abuses. “It’s not new that Rwanda is using sportswashing to deflect attention from its terrible human rights abuses,” Jakens said. “Aston Villa should be well aware that Rwanda is seeking to leverage this partnership to create positive PR. The country is prolific in arbitrary detention, torture and the repression of free speech  these are abuses at home.”

Jakens also highlighted Rwanda’s role in fuelling conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the country is accused of supporting M23 rebels and carrying out military operations in Eastern Congo. Last month, DR Congo filed a case against Rwanda at the International Court of Justice, accusing its neighbour of breaching multiple international treaties. Rwanda has long dismissed evidence that it backs rebel groups, but UN experts and Western governments have said Rwanda is supporting the M23 armed group in DR Congo’s east.

Villa needed to replace Betano after Premier League clubs agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of their matchday shirts by the end of last season. President of business operations Francesco Calvo, who negotiated the deal, said in a club statement: “This is a very exciting partnership for Aston Villa and a symbol of the club’s continuing expansion and growth into international markets. There is a great range and depth of opportunities for collaboration, learning and innovation and we are looking forward to working with Visit Rwanda to deliver meaningful activity.”

The deal has drawn criticism from human rights groups, who argue that the partnership risks legitimising Rwanda’s government and diverting attention from its alleged abuses. Amnesty International has called on Aston Villa and the Premier League to “play their part” in calling out Rwanda’s sportswashing. The club has not yet responded to the criticism, but the deal is expected to face further scrutiny as the partnership develops. As the debate over sportswashing intensifies, the sponsorship highlights the growing tension between commercial interests and ethical considerations in football.