The Colorado Rapids are phasing out the Ciao Telecom logo and searching for a new front-of-jersey sponsor as the courts sort out who is on the hook for the failed five-year, $8.3 million sponsorship deal.

Large billboards promoting the Rapids first-ever jersey sponsor remained on the light standards at Dick’s Sporting Goods last week, but the logo has vanished from the Rapids’ training gear, interview backdrops and team website. And on Sunday, the Rapids played their first preseason match wearing jerseys devoid of the telecom company’s emblem.

The absence of the logo points to the Rapids’ official severance of the Ciao deal, but Rapids’ president Tim Hinchey declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.

In October, the Rapids filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver against Global Logistics Solutions, the North American distributor for Ciao Telecom, claiming the company had not paid a dime since sending a $75,000 payment to close the deal. The Rapids were owed nearly half a million dollars at the time, the lawsuit claimed.

Global responded to the Rapids’ allegations and filed a lawsuit of its own against Ciao in a Jan. 26 filing, claiming the telecom company was on the hook for the unpaid sponsorship.

Ciao Telecom CEO Victor Santos has not returned phone calls or e-mails since Global’s lawsuit was filed, but told the Denver Post in November that his company did not participate in negotiations with the Rapids and he never saw the final contract. “Unfortunately, our brand got caught up in this,” he said.

Santos said Ciao severed ties with Global. According to court documents, Global was to receive half of Ciao’s net sales in North America.

Global’s chief information officer Don Pinkston, who also was listed as Ciao’s president, has not returned phone calls since news of the lawsuit broke.

Ciao and Global both were involved in other legal cases when Major League Soccer and the Rapids approved the sponsorship deal in April.

Ciao was in the midst of a 2013 lawsuit in California in which it was accused of providing $1.5 million worth of bogus telephone calling cards to a Brazilian company called SOLL Solucoes Fianceiras Ltd. That case was settled in November.

Court records show Global Logistics Solutions was named as a defendant in at least five cases since 2009, accusing the company of failing to pay money it owed and breach of contract.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Hinchey said they were not aware of any pending litigation against Ciao or Global.

“The information that we have available is what we use and the information we had available on this company was positive,” Garber said in January.

Hinchey said the club was aware of the risk involved in partnering with the startup Ciao, but took a chance.

Last month, Hinchey said the club was in talks with four or five potential jersey sponsors for 2015, two of which have since bowed out. Discussions are ongoing, Hinchey said Tuesday, “but nothing imminent.

“We’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing, which is pursuing another partner, which mitigates the situation, shows our good efforts and best efforts,” Hinchey said last month. “I’m confident we’re going to get ourselves sorted financially at some point, at least for last season, and I’m sure there’s a settlement in there somewhere, hopefully.”

Daniel Boniface: 303-954-1104, dboniface@denverpost.com or twitter.com/danielboniface