VW's football sponsorship in limbo as Wolfsburg face relegation

FILE PHOTO: Covers for TDI diesel Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda engines are seen in Jelah, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in this September 29, 2015 picture illustration. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - Volkswagen's expensively assembled football team VfL Wolfsburg face relegation from Germany's Bundesliga for the first time in 20 years, a move that could lead the carmaker to curb sponsorship as it grapples with its emissions crisis.

Given the sport's huge global popularity, automakers have long viewed football clubs as an ideal marketing platform to raise brand awareness and attract new customers.