reactions in football
“Gazprom” on the chest: Schalke reacts – Uefa withdraws St. Petersburg Champions League final
On October 11, 2006, the then Schalke boss Clemens Tönnies (left) and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin presented the club’s new main sponsor at the time
© DPA
Sport is also affected by the war in Ukraine. According to a media report, Uefa does not want the final of the soccer Champions League to be held in St. Petersburg. At the second division FC Schalke 04, the sponsor disappears from the shirt – but not from the homepage so far.
The Bundesliga second division club FC Schalke 04 will initially appear without the lettering of their sponsor “Gazprom” on their jerseys. The club announced this at noon.
The step was taken after talks with the German division of the company, “in view of the events, developments and escalation of the past few days,” as the statement said.
FC Schalke 04 does without “Gazprom” lettering
The background to this is Russia’s illegal war with Ukraine. The natural gas company “Gazprom” is 50 percent owned by the Russian state and thus indirectly finances part of the Russian war machine. The company has been the main sponsor of FC Schalke 04 since 2007. The current contract runs until 2025 and is considered vital for the indebted traditional club.
It is not yet clear how the partnership between the Royal Blues and the energy giant will continue. The “Gazprom” logo was still emblazoned on the club’s homepage on Thursday afternoon (as of 4 p.m.). “The club will inform you about further possible steps in due course,” said the Gelsenkirchen club. In the upcoming second division game against Karlsruher SC (Saturday from 1.30 p.m. in star-Liveticker) the lettering “Schalke 04” will be on the players’ jerseys.
What about the Champions League final in St. Petersburg?
The European football union Uefa is apparently also drawing consequences from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The final of the Champions League, which is planned for May 28 in the Russian metropolis of Istanbul, is to be relocated to another city, according to information from the Sport Information Service (SID) and the DPA news agency. According to the English news agency Press Association, a venue in England is under discussion.
According to the SID report, the new venue will be officially decided on Friday at a special meeting of the Uefe Executive Committee. On Tuesday, Uefa left it open to move the final to another location. From Germany, record champions FC Bayern Munich are still represented in the premier class
Swell: FC Schalke 04, Uefanews agencies DPA and AFP