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New York • With Pele looking on, the revived New York Cosmos signed a jersey sponsorship contract with Emirates Airline as the team prepares to play in the second-tier North American Soccer League this summer.
The 72-year-old Brazilian great, the team's honorary president, attended a news conference in Manhattan.
Featuring stars such as Pele, Frank Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia, the Cosmos played in the old NASL from 1971-84 and folded in 1985.
The relaunched team is run by CEO Seamus O'Brien. It starts play at Shuart Stadium in Hempstead on Long Island on Aug. 3 against Fort Lauderdale. The Cosmos hope to build a $400 million, 25,000-seat stadium at Belmont Park racetrack.
Emirates Air also is the jersey sponsor of Arsenal, AC Milan, Hamburg, Paris Saint-Germain and, starting next season, Real Madrid.