LONDON – Uefa faces mounting pressure to terminate their current agreement with Russian state energy firm Gazprom following the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Gazprom, a Russian government-controlled enterprise, is one of the major funders of European football’s governing body.
President Vladimir Putin ordered a special military operation into Ukraine yesterday, which has resulted in more than 130 lives lost.
Gazprom’s sponsorship deal with Uefa began in 2012, which costs €40 million (RM188.78 million) a year, involving the running of the Champions League, European Championships and Nations League. The current three-year agreement was renewed last May.
An executive meeting was held today to discuss the relationship, as well as the relocation of this season’s Champions League final. Uefa has announced that the May 28 final would no longer be held in St Petersburg, but in Paris instead.
Among members of the executive committee is the president of the Russian Football Union and chief executive of Gazprom Neft Alexander Dyukov.
Also included in the 27-member committee is Andrii Pavelko, the president of the Ukraine Association of Football.
German club Schalke has also announced yesterday that they will no longer display the Gazprom logo on their football jerseys.
Man Utd reviewing Aeroflot deal
Meanwhile, English Premier League club Manchester United are currently reviewing their commercial partnership with the Russian state airline Aeroflot.
Aeroflot has been prohibited by the UK government from flying in its airspace. Besides that, the Civil Aviation Authority had suspended the airline’s foreign carrier permit.
The partnership between United and Aeroflot has started in 2013. As the club’s official carrier, Aeroflot frequently flies the Red Devils players and staff to games in Europe.
During the recent Atletico Madrid game on Tuesday, however, United did not use Aeroflot but instead changed their plans to use charter airline Titan Airways. – Agencies, February 25, 2022
