For Chelsea supporters, the club¡¯s iconic blue uniform represents 114 years of history, dozens of domestic and continental trophies and a reputation as one of English soccer¡¯s established giants.
For Yokohama Rubber, it represents global exposure, whether it¡¯s to the English Premier League¡¯s billions of viewers or simply to anyone who spots the blue shirt emblazoned with the Yokohama Tyres logo being worn on the street.
The Tokyo-based tire manufacturer is hardly the first Japanese firm to sponsor a European club ¡ª Sharp, JVC, Sony, Hitachi and Nintendo all graced the front of a major club¡¯s uniform at one point or another.
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