Manchester United cancel flight with Russian airline
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Due to the escalation in the Ukraine conflict, Manchester United will not fly with the Russian airline Aeroflot for the time being. For the Champions League game at Atletico Madrid, the club rebooked at short notice.
Sitz and hub is Moscow. Aeroflot, founded in 1923, is the largest airline in Russia – and for several years has also been the official partner of one of the most renowned football clubs in Europe: Manchester United.
Due to the escalation in the Ukraine conflict, the English Premier League club will not fly with the Russian airline for the time being, according to consistent media reports. As the online magazine “The Athletic” and the “Daily Mail” reported on Wednesday, the club, where Ralf Rangnick has been team manager for a few months, canceled his flight with Aeroflot to Madrid for the Champions’ round of 16 first leg on Tuesday due to the latest developments League canceled at Atlético and took a charter flight instead.
Harsh criticism from the Prime Minister
On Tuesday afternoon – 4 p.m. local time – the entourage around superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was supposed to leave for Spain on flight A359. Instead, a charter plane from the English airline Titan Airways was used.
The English record champions usually fly with the Russian airline to football matches in European competition. According to information from The Athletic, the decision was made in consultation with Aeroflot. The partnership should continue.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was very clear on Tuesday about the Ukraine conflict. He considers the previously planned staging of this year’s Champions League final in St. Petersburg on May 28 to be unthinkable if Russia were to attack Ukraine militarily. There is “no chance of hosting a football tournament in a Russia attacking sovereign countries,” Johnson said. “At this critical moment, it is absolutely essential that President (Vladimir) Putin understands that what he is doing will be catastrophic for Russia,” Johnson said. Putin is about to completely isolate his country internationally. Johnson announced British sanctions against five Russian banks and three oligarchs.