UEFA would have started the process to break its contract with the Russian gas giant, provider of 40 million euros per year.
UEFA is considering breaking its sponsorship contract with Russian gas giant Gazprom in the face of military intervention in Ukraine, a source familiar with the discussions said on Saturday. The continental football body “is preparing” to end this partnership in place since 2012, and must take this decision during an executive committee meeting “next week”, it was specified from the same source, confirming information from the English press.
According to The Times and The Telegraph, in particular, UEFA, meeting urgently on Friday in an extraordinary executive committee, asked its lawyers to launch the process of immediate termination of the contract binding it with the gas giant, majority owned by the Russian state. . The specialized media evaluate the contract linking UEFA to Gazprom at 40 million euros per year. The Russian group based in Saint Petersburg has sponsored the Champions League since 2012, and had extended its contract with UEFA in May 2021, until 2024. It was also a partner of Euro 2020, postponed to 2021, and should also be associated with Euro 2024.
The Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg has been withdrawn from organizing the C1 final
Gazprom also gave its name to the Saint Petersburg stadium, where several Euro matches were held last summer. This stadium was withdrawn on Friday from the organization of the next Champions League final, relocated to France on May 28. In addition to this sanction concerning the main European Club Cup, UEFA has also decided to relocate all European matches to be played in Russia to neutral ground until further notice.
Alexander Dyukov, boss of Gazprom Neft, the oil branch of Gazprom, and president of the Russian football federation, is a member of the UEFA executive committee. The German club Schalke (2nd division), also sponsored by Gazprom, decided on Thursday to remove the name and logo of its partner from its jerseys.
