Thursday, February 24, 2022 at 4:05 PM• Jordi Tomasowa • Last update: 16:13

Schalke 04 is removing the name of main sponsor Gazprom from the match shirt because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the club announced in an official statement on its website. The Russian natural gas company has been the main lender of the Königsblauen and from UEFA. Thursday afternoon reported among other things The Times that the European Football Association has come to the decision to no longer play the Champions League final in Saint Petersburg this season.

“Given the events, developments and the escalation of recent days, Schalke 04 has decided to remove the letters of main sponsor Gazprom from the shirts,” the club said in a statement on its own site. “This choice was made after talks between Schalke and Gazprom Germania took place. Gazprom will be replaced by the letters Schalke 04.”

The war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine will have more consequences for Schalke 04, as Matthias Warning, ex-member of the Schalke 04 supervisory board and Gazprom’s deputy on the club’s board, is stepping down. The 66-year-old German joined the supervisory board in July 2019 as a representative of the Russian main sponsor. Warning is CEO of Nord Stream 2 AG, the consortium led by Gazprom that built the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany and is considered a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At Schalke 04, consultations on possible measures are in full swing after Russia’s attack on Ukraine. “We are also shocked by the images that are happening there,” said spokesman Marc Siekmann. “But I have to ask for your understanding that the whole issue took a new turn on Thursday morning and we need time to discuss it, close it down and see what that means for Schalke 04.”

UEFA is also under pressure over its partnership with Russian natural gas company Gazprom. Among other The Times and GOAL reported on Thursday that the European Football Association has decided to no longer play the Champions League final in Saint Petersburg this season. A special meeting is scheduled for Friday in which the decision will be confirmed, according to the British newspaper.