Carrefour to end French football, Tour de France sponsoring from 2019

FILE PHOTO: The Carrefour logo is pictured in a supermarket in Sao Paulo, Brazil November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File photo

PARIS (Reuters) - French supermarket chain Carrefour said on Tuesday it would end its contracts as official sponsor of the French Football Federation and of the Tour de France, the world's most famous cycling race, from 2019.

"The group wishes to refocus its sponsoring policy on events linked to food and retail. We will make some announcements along these lines soon," the spokesman said, confirming earlier media reports.

Carrefour has been official sponsor of the French Football Federation since 1998 and of the Tour de France since 1993.

The contracts, which come up for renewal every four year, will not be renewed from 2019, the spokesman said.

This will thus not impact the World Soccer Cup in Russia in June 2018 nor the Tour de France that starts in early July.

Under pressure to increase profits, Europe's largest retailer announced in January cost savings of 2 billion euros (1.7 billion pounds) by 2020, including a voluntary redundancy plan for 2,400 employees at its French head office.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; editing by Michl Rose)