The German second-tier side, Schalke 04 have announced that they have ended their sponsorship agreement with the Russian energy company, Gazprom.
Schalke said on Twitter, “Management and the supervisory board are in discussions with representatives of the current main sponsor, further information will be published in due course.”
The Gelsenkirchen-based club, which is in debt of hundreds of millions of euros, mentioned that this decision won’t have any impact on the club’s financial capabilities. Schalke currently plays in the German second tier after being relegated in the 2020-21 season.
The sponsorship agreement was set to expire in 2025. Following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the club announced that it would remove the Gazprom logo from its jerseys.
Russia’s gas giant, which has sponsored Schalke since 2007, has also been named as one of the sponsors for the next European Championship, which will be held in Germany in 2024.
Amidst the Russian attack on Ukraine, many football clubs and governing bodies are also parting ways with Russian companies and the federation. FIFA recently barred Russia from competing in the Qatar World Cup. In addition, the Premier League club, Manchester United have ended its sponsorship agreement with Russia’s national airline, Aeroflot.