(Bloomberg) -- Pernod Ricard SA has scrapped a global partnership with French football champions Paris Saint-Germain after just a few days, following a backlash due to the distiller’s ties with another city in France.
The maker of Ricard Pastis said it withdrew from the sponsorship deal, only announced on Monday, due to the strength of emotion it has aroused in France, particularly in Marseille, the city which was home to one of the company’s founders, Paul Ricard.
The apertif has a long-term association with Marseille, home to Olympique de Marseille, PSG’s fierce rival. Pastis, an anise-flavored spirit that turns cloudy when served with ice and water, is a ubiquitous sight on bistro terraces across the city and the Provence region.
Reaction to the deal was so intense that dispirited Marseille fans vowed to stop drinking pastis, with the hash-tag #boycottPernodRicard spreading on social media.
The global deal, which excluded France, would have seen Pernod promote its whisky and Champagne brands with the football club.
PSG’s team is disliked by fans of many other French clubs, as the majority Qatar-owned side bought up a string of star players while winning 10 of the last dozen Ligue 1 titles. PSG is currently at the top of Ligue 1, with Marseille in second place.
The sponsorship issue even prompted the mayor of Marseille to give a TV interview where he said he would meet Pernod Ricard Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Ricard to ask for an explanation.
In a statement, the CEO said he had decided to drop the global partnership after listening to employees in France, customers, shareholders and his family. “For over 90 years, Ricard’s history has been inextricably linked with Marseille, where it was born,” Ricard said. “Those roots are strong, and they run deep, so the decision that I’m taking today comes from the heart.
Pernod’s existing partnership, to provide wine and spirits to PSG’s hospitality suites, remains.
--With assistance from Julian Harris and Jerrold Colten.
(Updates with context and CEO statement)
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