FC Schalke 04 removes Gazprom logo from shirts over Ukraine invasion
German football club FC Schalke 04 has removed the logo of Russian-backed energy firm Gazprom from its shirts in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
FC Schalke 04 has removed the logo of Russian-backed Gazprom from its shirts
Posting on its official Twitter page, FC Schalke 04 claimed “recent developments” have led it to replace Gazprom’s logo with lettering that now reads ‘Schalke 04.’ It has not been confirmed whether this means it has cut ties with the energy firm altogether.
ℹ️ Following recent developments, FC Schalke 04 have decided to remove the logo of main sponsor GAZPROM from the club's shirts. It will be replaced by lettering reading ‘Schalke 04’ instead.#S04 pic.twitter.com/9kpJLRzTQ7
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) February 24, 2022
The decision follows the club‘s previous statement on Tuesday that said it would “monitor further developments, evaluate them and make a strong appeal for peace to protect those affected by the crisis.”
The news comes as Europe’s footballing body Uefa is under mounting pressure to end its 40m-euros-a-season Champions League sponsorship deal with the energy giant [we explore that here].
Uefa has condemned Russia‘s military action and will move this season‘s Champions League final from St Petersburg.
Gazprom, which is majority-owned by the Russian government, has been the sponsor of Schalke 04 since 2007. Schalke is the only individual football club sponsored by Gazprom outside of Russia.