Although it’s not a secret that clubs need to increase their sponsorships and advertising, the article had a particular tidbit about a club in Omsk. The new arena there will be named after whoever has the best proposal for branding, according to the chairman of the board of directors Alexander Krylov.
The new arena of Omsk Avangard, which is currently playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), will be called G-Drive Arena. This was announced at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) by the governor of the Omsk region Alexander Burkov, chairman of the board of directors of Gazprom Neft Alexander Dyukov, and head of the board of directors of Avangard Alexander Krylov, who spoke to RBC.
Krylov explained that thanks to their media presence, the LUKOIL Arena had many offers from entities wanting to be sponsors. He added that they, after reviewing all of their options, chose the most worthy. With this company, they have a longstanding alliance.
Dyukov said that the stadium should be ready later this year and will be used by Avangard players before the start of the season. “The arena is being built in a short time. It’s 80% ready right now. And in the summer, our players will start training there,” Dyukov said.
Avangard is a professional ice hockey team from Moscow, Russia. It won a gold medal and the Gagarin Cup (twice) in 1996 and 2001, respectively. That same year, it went on to win the European Champions League. Gazprom Neft is the club’s general partner.
Avangard announces the name of their new head coach following the departure of Lindgren.
The new Avangard arena is being constructed thanks to a public-private partnership between PJSC Gazprom Neft, the Russian government, and the government of the Omsk region. Limakmarashstroy, the general contractor for the facility, is a construction company that’s based in Turkey.
Avangard played in the Omsk Arena for years before moving to Balashikha in 2018. The flat 10,318-seat stadium opened on August 31st, 2007, and was demolished on September 11th, 2019.
G-Drive Arena is being constructed in the spot where Omsk Arena stands. The new stadium will have a capacity of 12,000 people. The first match in the new arena is scheduled to take place in September 2022. In the coming months, or early next year, the World Youth Championship was supposed to be held at Avangard arena – however, it was relocated to Canada due to sanctions against Russia.
