May 11 (NBD) -- Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta's joining Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Football Club (Chongqing Lifan) is in doubt, as a source familiar with the matter told NBD the Chongqing club has never publicly claimed the joining of the star player and it is the club's new title sponsor that released such message to draw attention.

In late February, SWM Motors, an Italian brand acquired by Chongqing Shineray Motorcycle Co., Ltd. (Shineray) in 2014, became a naming right sponsor of the football club in the new season with a sum of 200 million yuan (31.5 million U.S. dollars). The original Chongqing Dangdai Lifan Football Club will later participate in the 2018 China Super League under the new name of Chongqing SWM Motors Football Team. 

Gong Daxing, Chairman of SWM Motors, said to Xinhua News Agency in mid-April that he is sure the football club will sign Andres Iniesta. It is the only known official response on this matter.

This is not the first time that SWM Motors and Shineray conduct football marketing. As early as 2002, Shineray was signed as a naming right partner of the Chongqing Lifan Football Club for the China Super League. In addition, it sponsored the China Women's national football team and China Super League. In 2017, SWM Motors became an official partner of F.C. Internazionale Milano in China.

Football is a popular sport, making it a great marketing channel for enterprises.

Statistics released by www.auto.souhu.com show that SWM Motors' sales in the first quarter of this year was far below the targets set by the company's chairman earlier this year. Therefore, it makes sense for the carmaker to capitalize on football marketing to drive its sales. 

NBD tried to reach Gong through WeChat and phone call, but hasn't got response by press time.  

Email: tanyuhan@nbd.com.cn