On Feb. 24, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine after weeks of speculation regarding military buildup across the border. Since then, clouds of smoke have circled above the major cities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv as airstrikes continue inflicting both military and civilian casualties. In response to the attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba reminded the world that the last time its capital suffered such a catastrophe was in 1941 against Nazi Germany. The tremors of Russia’s actions have been felt across the globe, and soccer has responded firmly.
Four years ago, FIFA president Gianni Infantino stood alongside Vladimir Putin during the final trophy presentation of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Spartak Moscow, a major club that was due to play its last 16 tie against RB Leipzig in the Europa League later this month, has been automatically eliminated. Similarly, UEFA has indefinitely suspended all Russian national and club teams from competition. The Russian Football Union is appealing this suspension, and the status of all future fixtures is up in the air.
On the commercial side, UEFA has ended its 10-year sponsorship deal with Gazprom, a Russian majority-owned energy firm; the deal was worth around 40 million euros per year. Moreover, UEFA has stripped Russia of its hosting rights for the 2022 Champions League Final, relocating the coveted event from the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg to the Stade de France in Paris.
Football’s backlash has also been targeted at Russian billionaires, businesses and oligarchs with strong political ties to Putin. Manchester United has suspended its 10-year 30 million- partnership with Aeroflot, the Russian airline that served as the club’s official carrier since 2013. In addition, Everton F.C. has terminated its sponsorship deals with USM, Megafon and Yota, all Russian companies. USM, primarily owned by Russian tycoon Alisher Usmanov, was in a five-year deal worth 12 million pounds per year to sponsor the club’s training ground and had also purchased first naming rights for its new stadium. Megafon, a Russian telecom company that sponsors Everton Women, is largely owned by Usmanov and has also been removed from all kit and stadium branding.
Club owner Farhad Moshiri has cut ties with Usmanov following heavy EU sanctions and pressure from U.K. Labour Member of Parliament Chris Bryant. In a recent game, Manchester City and Everton, led by Ukrainian players Oleksander Zinchenko and Vitaliy Mykolenko, exhibited anti-war sentiments with each team walking out with Ukrainian flags while banners of blue and yellow emerged from the crowds. The emotion was palpable as the cameras panned across the tearful duo before kickoff.
One of football’s most notable owners is Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich. The Russian bought the club in 2003 and has since invested over 1.5 billion pounds. Abramovich’s investment has driven Chelsea to European glory and established its status as a European giant, but Abramovich now says that he intends to sell the team. Following the invasion, Abramovich has been considered as one of several oligarchs that the U.K. government might target with sanctions. If his assets are frozen, selling the club would be impossible. In response, Abramovich declared that he would be passing “stewardship and care” of Chelsea over to its foundation. The billionaire, who made his fortune by selling assets for profit after the collapse of the Soviet Union, values Chelsea at three billion pounds and has promised that the net proceeds will go to victims of the war.
Elsewhere in Europe, clubs and players have shown great solidarity with Ukraine. Bayern Munich’s talisman and captain Robert Lewandowski wore a blue and yellow armband during a 1–0 victory over Frankfurt. Bayern players wore black armbands to pay tribute to the victims of Ukraine as the electronic screens in the stadium read “Stop it, Putin!” All throughout Germany’s Bundesliga, a minute of silence was held before kickoff. After scoring against Brighton, Aston Villa player Matty Cash displayed his undershirt with a message urging his Polish teammate Tomasz Kedziora to remain strong as he and his family remained stranded in Kyiv.
In Spain, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad players wore shirts with the message “Todos con Ucrania” as both sides posed for a combined photo in the Santiago Bernabéu. Fans rallied around Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who is Ukrainian, as a mosaic of yellow and blue cards was formed behind the main stand. Club legend and current Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo took to Instagram to show his support for Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of creating a peaceful world for future generations.
While much of the sport stands together against Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine, many players and teams have also remained silent. Even so, this shows the sport’s special ability to unite people in times of crisis.
