Stage Front Stadium is reverting to its old name, RCDE Stadium, after Espanyol announced Monday that it has broken its contract with American company Stage Front. The club accused it of failing to fulfill the terms of the contract and withdrawing from the European market, and announced that it will take legal action.

Stage Front is leaving the scene

In March 2023, Espanyol Barcelona signed a deal with Stage Front, a US-based company dedicated to organizing events, especially on the ticketing and technology side. The company, according to the club, began an ambitious expansion project in Europe in 2023. The contract gave the company the naming rights to the venue for a period of five years, during which, for an undisclosed amount of money, Espanyol's home would be called Stage Front Stadium.

The American company still has contracts in place with LaLiga, among others, but according to Espanyol, it is making moves suggesting its intention to exit the European scene. Stage Front are withdrawing all of the personnel responsible for the activation and monitoring of the contracts they handle in Europe, as well as ceasing their activities with LALIGA. - announces the club in its statement.

© Stadiony.net

Club initiates legal action as Stage Front remains silent

The announcement reveals that Stage Front failed to fulfill its obligations and is owing the club money for the right to the stadium name. Therefore, Espanyol has decided to terminate the contract and has instructed its lawyers to immediately initiate legal action through a civil lawsuit. The club will demand in court not only payment of the debts, but also compensation for the early termination of the contract.

Stage Front has not issued any communication polemicizing with the version of events presented by the club. The company also did not respond to our questions about its position on the allegations and their veracity, or whether it was aware of the club's intentions to break the contract.

© Stadiony.net

Third time lucky?

Interestingly, this is not the first time Espanyol has broken a deal with a stadium title sponsor. In 2014, the club signed a seven-year contract with bookmaking company Power8, which also signed deals with Fulham FC or Everton, which resulted in Espanyol's facility being renamed Power8 Stadium. The contract was scrapped after a year, when it became apparent that the company was operating as a pyramid scheme and went into liquidation.

Espanyol, which was promoted to the Primera in the 2023/24 season, is forced to look for the third sponsor in the stadium's 15-year history. In the meantime, the venue will likely revert to its old name RCDE Stadium until the club finds another sponsor. Estadi Cornellà-El Prat and Estadi Nou Sarrià are also used.