Everton Football Club 'shocked and saddened' by events in Ukraine as it cut ties with Russian sponsors

Everton football club has cut ties with its Russian sponsors, including USM which is owned by oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

The Merseyside club has also cut ties with Megafon, which is the second-largest mobile phone operator and the third-largest telecom operator in Russia and smartphone manufacturer Yota.

Mr Usmanov, a Russian metals tycoon and former Arsenal co-owner, is among the oligarchs sanctioned by the EU and is also said to be on a list of people due to face sanctions by the US Treasury, the Washington Post reported.

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“Everyone at Everton remains shocked and saddened by the appalling events unfolding in Ukraine,” the club said in a statement.

“This tragic situation must end as soon as possible, and any further loss of life must be avoided.

“The players, coaching staff and everyone working at Everton is providing full support to our player Vitalii Mykolenko and his family and will continue to do so.”

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Mykolenko joined Everton in the January transfer window from Dynamo Kyiv and shared a touching moment with his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksandr Zinchenko before his side’s match against Manchester City.

The club will remove all signs and messaging relating to USM and Megafon’s logo will be removed from the women’s team shirts.

Key developments in the Ukraine crisis:

Everton’s match programmes will be reprinted, without Russian related sponsorship. Sky News understands all the changes will cost around £500,000.

Lifelong Everton fan and podcaster Paul “The Esk” who monitors the ownership at Goodison Park told Sky News’s sports correspondent Tom Parmenter: “A suspension provides breathing space to evaluate new options. It leaves the door open for a return but it is difficult to see the circumstances that USM etc will ever be positive brands.

“There is no condemnation of the actions of Putin & Russia.”

USM had sponsored Everton’s Finch Farm training ground since 2017, and Sky Sports News said in January 2020 a company part-owned by Mr Usmanov paid £30m to secure an option on the naming rights of their new stadium.

On 25 February, Manchester United dropped Russian airline Aeroflot’s sponsorship rights.

Russia and Belarus drivers banned from motorsports in the UK

It comes as Russian and Belarusian licensed drivers have been banned from motorsport events in the UK.

Motorsport UK has announced sanctions after the International Olympic Committee recommended athletes from Belarus and Russia should be banned or told to compete under a neutral flag.

David Richards, Chair of Motorsport UK, along with the board of the organisation, said: “The entire Motorsport UK community condemns the acts of war by Russia and Belarus in Ukraine and expresses its solidarity and support towards all those affected by the ongoing conflict.”

Motorsport UK is the national governing body for four-wheel motorsport in the UK, representing 720 affiliate clubs and 30,000 licence holders.

The body organises the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, the Rally of Great Britain and the British Rally Championship.

Formula One has already cancelled the 2022 Russian Grand Prix and expressed “sadness and shock” over the invasion of Ukraine.

The ban on Russian drivers means Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin will be barred from racing at Silverstone for Haas on 3 July.

According to Motorsport UK’s statement, the decision was made in full consultation with the UK government.

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On Wednesday, the International Paralympic Committee announced that any Russian and Belarusian athletes who want to take part will have to compete under a neutral flag at the Beijing Paralympics.

Russia had already been stripped of the UEFA Champions League final in May, which was moved from St Petersburg to Paris last week.

In tennis, Russian and Belarusian tennis players including top-ranked Daniil Medvedev, who is Russian, can play on the ATP and WTA tours, but without national flags, and at the Grand Slams.

On the mission ✊🏼🇺🇦 #Ukraine #StandingWithUkraine #Україна pic.twitter.com/D3FyuF6yXH

On Tuesday night, Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina beat Russian Anastasia Potapova at the Monterrey Open in Mexico.

Svitolina had initially refused to play her opening match against Potapova but went ahead after Potapova was forced to play under a neutral flag.

The former world No 3, who played dressed in Ukraine’s blue and gold colours, added: “I think it’s my mission to unite our tennis community to stand with Ukraine, to help Ukraine because what we’re going through is a horrible thing for all Ukrainians.

A post shared by Dayana Yastremska (@dayana_yastremskay)

In Lyon, fellow Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska collapsed in a heap on the court she beat Romanian Ana Bogdan at the WTA 250 tournament.

The 21-year-old and her younger sister had spent two nights in an underground car park last week before their parents sent them out of Ukraine by boat to Romania and then safely to France.

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