The conflict between Russia and Ukraine spans way beyond politics. Clubs such as Chelsea FC have been hit with numerous restrictions and now, three additional soccer clubs have decided to cut ties with Fonbet, a Russian-based gambling company.
The European Clubs Are Among the Most Popular in the World
AC Milan from the Italian Serie A, Real Madrid from the Spanish La Liga, and PSG from France’s Ligue 1 are the soccer clubs that cut ties with Fonbet.
Milan partnered with Fonbet in 2001 and since the Italian club decided to suspend its partnership, the Fonbet’s brand will not be visible on Milan’s official website, mobile app, or at the San Siro stadium (Milan’s home ground).
PSG and Real Madrid inked a deal with 2021 and the fans of these two clubs were able to enjoy special and exclusive promotions.
The main reason why the three clubs decided not to extend their partnership with Fonbet is to show their support for Ukraine in the conflict. With this development, Fonbet will no longer be able to offer enhanced odds, special bonuses, or prize draws connected with the teams, nor have any events on its social media.
PSG Will Still Run Its Youth Academy in Moscow
PSG’s deal with Fonbet runs until 2023 and the club announced that it will suspend the partnership until the end of this season. In a statement, the club said that current events led the team to reconsider its partnership with Fonbet, which is why it decided to put it on hold for the time being.
However, PSG did note that its youth academy, which is based in Moscow, will keep operating. The youth academy of the French Ligue 1 side was established in 2019 and has 500 children this season. PSG operates 152 academies in 17 countries and it is not the only soccer club that has an establishment of this type in Russia.
Juventus, Milan, Barcelona, and Inter are some of the most well-known clubs on a global scale that have youth academies in Russia and all of them are keeping them open.
The World of Sports Keeps Punishing Russia for the Conflict
At the moment, Chelsea is facing the hardest consequences from the war as the world of sports is punishing Russia for the conflict.
Chelsea is owned by Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire that has ties with Vladimir Putin and because of that, the club’s accounts have been frozen and Roman Abramovich is being forced to sell Chelsea.
Additionally, UEFA has decided to end its partnership with Russian-based Gazprom at the end of February. The decision was effective immediately. Moreover, the Champions League final, which was supposed to be played in St. Petersburg, has been moved to Stade de France in Paris.
