Dhe ice hockey second division club Löwen Frankfurt has separated from its sponsor VTB Bank Europe after the media outrage of numerous of its supporters. The club announced this in a press release on Friday evening. This marks the end of a more than ten-year collaboration with the European branch of Russia’s second largest bank.
According to the club, all advertising measures such as advertisements in the stadium magazine or the presentation of the team line-up should be stopped immediately. The club also announced that it would remove the VTB Bank Europe logo from the jerseys and also replace all advertising boards with the controversial sponsor’s imprint. For the next game, which will take place next Sunday (4:00 p.m.) against the Ravensburg Towerstars in the ice rink in Frankfurt, the lions could play in their new guise.
With the abrupt separation, the Frankfurters want to avert the loss of trust in their own fans. Last Thursday, the day Russian forces invaded Ukraine, the lions advertised the away game in Bad Tölz together with VTB Bank Europe on social media. But that led to an uproar. The behavior was “tasteless” and “inhuman”, according to the fan community, who accused the lions of a “catastrophic external presentation”. Although the club deleted the post the following day, the media damage to its own supporters and other sponsors had already been done.
In a first club announcement, which was published on Thursday evening, the lions pointed out that the global political situation was by no means ignored, as numerous fans accused them of. “Even and especially in the difficult times of Frankfurt ice hockey, VTB Bank Europe and the people who work for them have always stood by us as a reliable partner and also regularly support our team personally in the hall.” It also said: “Violent people or armed conflicts are not compatible with our values, we vehemently reject them.”
Big financial risk
The club would also be concerned with the images of the war in Ukraine: “It is shocking to see that borders are to be moved in the middle of Europe with tanks and missiles.” With their decision, the lions are now also accepting economic damage. It could hardly be bigger, because the club currently has no main sponsor. With the VTB Bank Europe, the Frankfurters lose one of four exclusive partners, who previously financed the club with considerable funds.
“The Löwen Frankfurt are very aware of the scope and effects of this decision, because it has a fundamental, even painful impact on the economic situation and the future viability of the Löwen Frankfurt. Therefore, we are concerned about the continued existence of professional ice hockey in Frankfurt,” the club said.
