The Malta Tourism Authority has yet to confirm whether it will renew its sponsorship deal with Sheffield United following the Yorkshire club’s relegation to the third tier of English football.

An MTA spokesman said a meeting took place in Malta last Monday between senior figures from the authority and Sheffield United but nothing was concluded and a further meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.

The MTA paid £350,000 (€401,000) to become the main corporate sponsor of Sheffield United in 2008 and renewed the deal for a further two years in 2009 for the same amount.

The initial deal was struck when ‘The Blades’ were playing in the Championship – the second division in English football – and were considered credible contenders for promotion to the Premier League.

However, a troubled season in which the team played under three different managers, ended in relegation to League One on April 30 after a 2-2 draw with local rivals Barnsley.

The MTA’s sponsorship deal included having the Visitmalta.com logo emblazoned on the club’s kit and displayed prominently at the club’s Bramhall Lane Stadium, which has a capacity of 32,700.

This branding was not only visible to fans in the stadiums, but also on TV as 45 live Championship matches are shown on Sky Sports and 10 are shown on BBC in the UK, which is Malta’s core tourism market.

A selection of Championship matches is also shown in other important tourism markets for Malta including Italy, Germany and Sweden.

However, League One games receive much less TV coverage and attendances in the stadiums are significantly lower. Championship attendances this season have averaged 17,369, whereas League One attendances averaged just 7,519.

The MTA said the original purpose of the sponsorship deal was to promote Malta in the Sheffield area and throughout the UK, and to improve the image of Malta in the eyes of younger generations of Britons through association with a renowned football team.