Nike has tapped the Middle East Licensing Company, a partnership between Shooting Stars and the Nordic Licensing Company, to represent its football clubs in the Middle East.

MELC is the first master licensee in the region for Nike football clubs, which include FC Barcelona, Manchester United FC, Juventus Turin, Dutch Federation, French Federation and Brazilian Federation.

“At Nike, we have a saying–‘We are on the offense, always,’” says Romain Gardair, licensing manager, EMEA, Nike. “We are putting that maxim into action by appointing MELC as our master licensee in the Middle East, the fastest-growing region in the EMEA. We believe that the combination of the best football clubs with the best licensees and the best master licensee will reinforce our position as the leading sports licensing team in the region.”

MELC will serve as Nike’s “team on the ground” in the Middle East, supporting current licensees and identifying new opportunities.