Sheffield United sponsor CFI Financial Group - who company are, Dubai links and length of deal

Sheffield United kicked off this season's Premier League campaign with a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace at Bramall Lane on Saturday as nearly 32,000 fans watched on.

It was the first competitive outing for the Blades' new home kit for the season ahead with front-of-shirt sponsors CFI Financial Group still attracting attention from Sheffield United supporters.

The Star has all you need to know about who the new sponsors are and what has been said about the partnership.

What is CFI Financial Group?

CFI Financial Group is a 'global multi-asset broker' headquartered in Dubai. The enterprise is 25 years old and is a well-known trading provider with regulated entities in London, Larnaca, Beirut, Amman, Dubai, Cairo, and other regions.

The company's LinkedIn page states: "CFI Dubai is a leading online trading provider and part of the CFI Financial Group, with several entities worldwide, focused on providing a superior trading experience and serving investors for over 25 years. The firm specializes in trading on various CFDs, including Forex, Metals, Commodities, Indices, and Equities."

CFI Financial Group has under 200 employees and has worked on campaigns with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in the past.

There are controversies with CFI's links to Dubai. In the country, free speech is limited, women are regularly discriminated against and same-sex relationships can lead to imprisonment, along with other human rights atrocities.

How long will CFI sponsor the Blades?

For fans not too keen on the new kit, there is good news in that Sheffield United have only agreed to a one-year deal with CFI Financial Group.

However, when confirming this earlier this month, the Blades did state that this was an 'initial' deal, which could hint at the chance to extend the deal into next season and beyond.

What have Sheffield United and CFI said about the partnership?

Sheffield United's Head of Commercial, Paul Reeves, said: "We have worked extremely hard to get CFI on board as we begin our journey back in the Premier League. Having an international sponsor as our principal partner shows the global attraction of the club both on and off the pitch. We extend our thanks to Hisham Mansour and his team at CFI for their commitment to secure this new partnership".

Hisham Mansour, Co-founder and Managing Director of CFI Financial Group, also expressed the sponsorship's significance from a strategic perspective: "We are honoured to have a relationship with a club that has such a rich tradition and history in the game of football. Sheffield is the birthplace of football, and we are excited to be at the beginning of another new chapter in the club's story. Sheffield United and the Premier League offer worldwide exposure for our business, and that is something we are very keen to embrace. We are proud to be the Principal Partner and Official Financial Trading Partner and hope this collaboration will be mutually beneficial."