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FC Schalke 04 jersey with advertising lettering for the Russian gas company Gazprom
Photo: Thomas Thienel / IMAGO / Eibner
After the Russian escalation in eastern Ukraine, the first clubs and associations are reacting.
Second division soccer team Schalke 04 says they are reviewing the partnership with their long-standing main sponsor Gazprom.
"FC Schalke 04 will monitor further developments, evaluate them and urgently appeal for peace to protect the people affected by the crisis," the club announced.
What this communication is worth remains to be seen.
Gazprom Germania, a German subsidiary of the Russian state energy company Gazprom, has been advertising on the second division team's jerseys and stadium for 15 years.
When Russia annexed Crimea in violation of international law in 2014, this did not make Schalke rethink.
Uefa "currently" sees no reason to cancel games
Gazprom is a major financier in European football.
The Russian company has been a sponsor of the European Football Union Uefa since 2012.
Alexander Dyukov, the CEO of the oil company Gazprom Neft, a Gazprom subsidiary, has been on the Uefa Executive Committee since 2021.
Last year, the partnership was extended to the postponed EM 2020 in summer 2021, the Uefa Nations League and also the EM 2024 in Germany.
It is not known how much the sponsorship amounts to.
Uefa does not want to react to the current events in Ukraine for the time being.
"All games should currently take place as planned," said the association at the request of the news site ntv.de.
Scheduled games involving Russia include two Europa League games by Zenit St Petersburg and Spartak Moscow and a World Cup playoff game by Russia against Poland on March 24 in Moscow.
In the light of current developments, it is explosive: The Champions League final on May 28 is to take place in the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg – in addition to Gazprom's headquarters, it is also Vladimir Putin's hometown.
A reaction from Uefa to the possibility of relocating the final is expected in the coming days, as otherwise there could be travel restrictions for fans.
No more international handball in Ukraine
The reactions from other sports areas are very different.
The European Handball Federation (EHF) announced that it would not be hosting any international games in Ukraine for the next four weeks due to the current events.
"The EHF always strives to maintain the integrity of its competitions," said Association President Michael Wiederer.
"At the same time, the safety of teams, players and officials has top priority."
However, against the background of the Ukraine crisis, the World Volleyball Federation FIVB is not currently considering withdrawing the 2022 Men's World Cup from Russia, which is scheduled from August 26th to September 11th.
"The FIVB believes that sport should always remain separate from politics, but we are closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants in our events," the world governing body said.
The Olympic Winter Games, which have just ended, have shown once again that sport and politics cannot be separated.
see/dpa/sid