Schalke 04, one of Germany’s most successful football clubs, has removed the name of Russian sponsor Gazprom off their shirts following Vladimir Putin’s declaration of war on Ukraine on Thursday, February 24.
Gazprom, a Russian energy firm, is majority-owned by the Russian government and is a significant supporter of both the Champions League and Schalke.
Nord Stream 2 CEO Matthias Warnig, a former East German military and known Putin loyalist, has played a key role in the Schalke-Gazprom link. On Thursday, he was compelled to quit from his position on the Schalke board of directors.
‘Following recent developments, FC Schalke 04 has chosen to remove the logo of key sponsor GAZPROM from the club’s shirts,’ the club said in a statement. Lettering will take its place.
US sanctions have been imposed on Warnig and Nord Stream 2, a subsidiary of Gazprom, as a result of Russia’s participation in Ukraine.
Following the events in Ukraine this week, the commencement of the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which runs from near St Petersburg to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea and was planned to increase the amount of natural gas supplied from Russia to Germany, has been halted.
The pipeline had been awaiting German government clearance, which has now been put on hold due to international penalties against Nord Stream 2 and Warnig.
Schalke was demoted from Germany’s top division last season, but they remain one of the most popular clubs in the country, with a 62,000-seat stadium in Gelsenkirchen, in the north-west. They have triumphed.