West Ham United have officially unveiled new recruits Alessandro Diamanti and Manuel Da Costa at the club's Chadwell Heath training ground.
Manager Gianfranco Zola welcomed the new players during a break in training with Diamanti, who will wear No32, and Da Costa, who has the No22 shirt, also being introduced to SBOBET Executive Director Bill Mummery.
SBOBET have been the club's principal partners since December 2008 when they stepped into the breach left by the demise of XL Holidays. They continue to support the club and played a significant role in the transfer window activity this summer. It was the backing from SBOBET that allowed the club to initially finalise the deal to sign forward Diamanti from AS Livorno Calcio before concluding the arrival of centre-back Da Costa from ACF Fiorentina.
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola was grateful for the support of SBOBET. He said: "It's very good. It's fantastic that they help sustain us. They believe in what we are doing and have given us their support. We are going to try everything possible to match that with what we are doing."
"The first impressions of Alessandro and Manuel are very positive. I have had four or five training sessions with Alessandro and he is showing us his quality. Manuel is a young boy with a lot of promise and we are hoping to bring out all of his talent."West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury said: "We have an excellent relationship with SBOBET and they have proved perfect partners over the past year. Their support in advancing a due payment to the club made sure we signed Alessandro ahead of rival clubs looking to secure his services. He promises to be a major addition to our squad, along with Manuel Da Costa, and I know Gianfranco is excited to be working with both of them.
"Again I must offer personal thanks to executive director Bill Mummery for the way he has endorsed what we are trying to achieve here. SBOBET are also working closely with fan groups and were a part of our recent trip to China for the Barclays Asia Trophy. I am sure we will continue to work closely together in future."
SBOBET Executive Director Bill Mummery said: "We stepped in to assist Scott and his team on the basis that the transfer window was coming to a close. We are very immersed with our strategic relations with West Ham and this was a good opportunity for us to demonstrate that support in a meaningful way and we were glad to do it.
"We have been involved for about eight months. The community spirit, the values of the club, the Academy and being out in Beijing with them, we really are very impressed with the whole set up at West Ham. Their values in many ways, particularly at a strategic level, match ours so we were just happy to help where we were able to."
SBOBET continue to be ideal partners for West Ham United, not least because of the support towards the club's main charity partner, the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK (Registered Charity No. 1089464). The charity's logo will once again be carried on all kit worn by the club's academy sides as well as on child replica strips.