Soccer Football - AFC Asian Cup - Final Draw - Katara Opera House, Doha, Qatar - May 11, 2023 General view outside the venue before the draw REUTERS/Mohammed Dabbous/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Sept 15 (Reuters) - The Asian Football Confederation terminated its commercial relationship with Football Marketing Asia "with immediate effect" on Friday, less than three years into an exclusive eight-year deal with the Hong Kong-based company. "The AFC's decision takes into careful consideration the new challenges and opportunities presented by the rapidly evolving post-pandemic commercial environment," the confederation said in a statement. The original deal was renegotiated in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global shutdown caused significant complications ahead of the start of the contract. The AFC have since moved the 24-nation tournament to Qatar and have postponed the finals until January. "The AFC are now in the process of appointing a new exclusive partner for the 2023-2028 term with more details to be announced in due course," the confederation said.

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Persons: Mohammed Dabbous, FMA, Michael Church, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Soccer Football, AFC, Opera House, Asian Football Confederation, Football Marketing, DDMC Fortis, FMA, Lagardere Sports, Entertainment, Wuhan DDMC Culture, Sports, Thomson Locations: Doha, Qatar, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Wuhan