PR Week: Saracens 'forever tarnished' as Allianz severs ties

Saracens' major sponsor Allianz has reportedly severed ties with the European club rugby champions weeks after the club was relegated for breaching the salary cap.

A sports marketing consultant tells PRWeek Saracens is "forever tarnished" by cheating.

Allianz has broken its sponsorship contract with Saracens weeks, according to media reports today, after it emerged the club would be relegated for breaches of salary cap rules.

Sports marketing experts previously told PRWeek the German insurance group would be the most likely sponsor to ditch the embattled club after it was relegated to second-tier rugby for failing to adhere to the salary cap for several seasons and misleading the public about its position until November.

Calacus managing director David Alexander has warned that Saracens' reputation may not recover. "A financial brand such as Allianz is rooted in integrity and cannot ever be seen to associate with brands that do not match those attributes," he said.

"How can an insurer be trusted and reassuring if they align themselves to brands that have been found guilty of breaking the rules and of subterfuge?

"Saracens will now forever be tarnished with rule-breaking, where once they were admired for their sporting excellence, and that is an association Allianz cannot afford to be a part of."

The Saracens scandal is a classic case of how not to manage crisis communications and has been described as the greatest PR disaster in club rugby history.

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