February 25 – German club Schalke 04 have removed Gazprom logo from the main shirt sponsorship position after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“In light of the events, developments and escalation of the past days, FC Schalke 04 has decided to remove the logo of the main sponsor, Gazprom, from the shirts,” said Schalke in a statement.
The decision was made after talks with Gazprom’s German subsidiary. Since 2007, the club has had Gazprom as a sponsor. Schalke also said that Matthias Warnig, a Gazprom representative on the club’s supervisory board, would step back from his role.
He is the CEO of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Tuesday, the German government rescinded approval for Nord Stream 2. The company and the CEO personally were also targeted by US sanctions announced on Wednesday.
Gazprom are majority-owned by the Russian state and the energy company is a major sponsor of both the Champions League and Schalke 04, one of Germany’s most supported clubs. Last year, Schalke were relegated from the Bundesliga after a dramatic season. They have been German champions seven times but last won the crown in 1958.
The move comes as football positions itself to the new developments in Ukraine and Russian aggression. UEFA will move the Champions League final away from St Petersburg with official confirmation expected from the governing body on Friday. The Confederation however has remained silent on the fate of Gazprom as a sponsor of the Champions League, UEFA’s flagship club competition.
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