Second division soccer team Schalke 04 is ending its partnership with its controversial Russian main sponsor Gazprom. The joint decision of the Management Board and the Supervisory Board the club announced on Monday. The club will “announce further information in due course”.
The contract between the financially strapped miners and Gazprom ran until 2025. In the second division, the Russian gas supplier was supposed to provide nine million euros a year, with a rise the sum would have risen to 15 million euros per season. “The club’s full financial capacity to act remains unaffected by this decision. The club’s management is confident of being able to present a new partner in the near future,” said Schalke.
After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the Royal Blues had already dispensed with the Gazprom lettering on their jerseys during the guest appearance in Karlsruhe on Saturday (1:1). Gazprom representative Matthias Warnig had already resigned from the supervisory board on Thursday with immediate effect.
DFB Vice-President Hans-Joachim Watzke had promised Schalke financial help if they separated from the main sponsor. “And if the solidarity of the other clubs in Germany is also required to get them out of this situation reasonably well, then we have to discuss how we can do it,” said the managing director of Borussia Dortmund in the ZDF “Sportstudio”. explained.
Fifa imposes first sanctions on Russia
No home games, no flag, no anthem: The world football association Fifa imposed the first sanctions after the Russian attack on Ukraine. International games are no longer played in Russia, home games are played on neutral ground. In addition, the anthem will no longer be played at national team games, and the Russian flag will not be visible either.
A Russian fan during the 2018 World Cup on home soil.
(Photo: Johannes Eisele/AFP)
In addition, the national team is no longer allowed to play under the name of Russia. In future it will appear under the name of its association RFU. This was announced by Fifa on Sunday evening. The decision was made unanimously and in close consultation with the European Football Union (Uefa). Fifa also reserves the right to impose further sanctions.
Russia was not excluded from the World Cup playoffs. At the same time, Fifa once again condemned the “Russian violence during the invasion” and expressed its “deepest solidarity” with all the people affected. In addition, the world association called for “the restoration of peace and the immediate establishment of a constructive dialogue”.
Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic are critical
Poland’s association president Cezary Kulesza described the sanctions by Fifa as “unacceptable”. The official said on Twitter: “We are not interested in a game of appearances. Our position remains unchanged: the Polish national team will NOT play a game against Russia. It doesn’t matter what the Russian team is called.”
The play-off game in the qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar between Poland and the team from Russia is scheduled for March 24. The winner of the duel should then meet the winner of the game Czech Republic against Sweden. The Czech association FAČR also continues to reject a clash with Russia. “Nothing will change in the position of the Czech national team,” FAČR announced late Sunday evening.
The Swedish association SvFF is also not changing its position. President Karl-Erik Nilsson was “upset” by Fifa’s decision in a statement: “We have previously announced that we do not want to compete under these circumstances – and that will remain so for the time being.”