Just this week, German car giants, Audi, ended their sponsorship agreement with Barcelona, no longer sponsoring Camp Nou as they have been for many years.
As a result, the vehicle manufacturers have ordered the return of various cars that they lent out, some of which were being used by the club’s high-profile football players.
Last year, Audi’s Christian Guenthner told said: “For official business occasions they use their Audi. During the selection process Audi and the club work hand in hand.
“Players can choose from the whole range of models, usually starting with smaller cars for the younger players.
“They each get to choose a new model every season with a lot of optional extras. And with our Audi Exclusive catalogue options, there are infinitely many possibilities.”
Players asked to hand over their keys include the legendary Lionel Messi who opted for a Audi RS 6 Avant worth £130,000. Teammate, Ivan Rakitic, chose a Audi Q7 worth a respectable £65,000 as his chosen whip.
Though having been aligned with the club for over 13 years, Audi has given the club and its players just three weeks to return the cars to them, seeing them have to act quickly and find alternative transport.
According to sources, Audi are likely to sell these cars off and make some real profit on the re- sale market, capitalising on their celebrity associations.
Let us know what you think, was it fair for Audi to give Messi and co just a few weeks to return their vehicles? Share your thoughts and opinions with us.
Alternatively, explore the tremendous Audis available to hire through Cars for Stars. You can do this by conducting a quick search via our online tool. Failing that, you can give us a good old-fashioned call on the telephone!