Post by Webster on Mar 2, 2022 19:59:22 GMT
The Guardian: Everton suspend ties with Russian companies linked to Alisher Usmanov
Everton have suspended all sponsorship deals with Russian companies backed by Alisher Usmanov as the club come under increasing pressure to cut ties with the EU-sanctioned oligarch.
The Uzbekistan-born billionaire is a close business associate of Everton’s majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, and involved in several multimillion-pound sponsorship deals with the club.
Usmanov’s USM Holdings company began a five-year sponsorship of Everton’s training ground worth about £12m a year in 2017 and paid £30m for a first naming rights option on the club’s new stadium. MegaFon, where Usmanov is the majority shareholder, and the Russian smartphone company Yota, which is part of the MegaFon group, sponsor Everton Women. Moshiri also has a shareholding in USM and MegaFon.
The Labour MP Chris Bryant has called for Everton to terminate their contracts with Usmanov in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Everton, who signed the Ukraine international Vitalii Mykolenko from Dynamo Kyiv in January, have suspended the deals so far. USM, MegaFon and Yota branding will be removed from their stadium, training ground and shirts.
A club statement read: “Everyone at Everton remains shocked and saddened by the appalling events unfolding in Ukraine. 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.
“The club can confirm that it has suspended with immediate effect all commercial sponsorship arrangements with the Russian companies USM, MegaFon and Yota.”
Usmanov has had his assets frozen by the EU and could be sanctioned by the UK government over his close links to Vladimir Putin. The EU has described the 68-year-old as a “pro-Kremlin oligarch with particularly close ties to [the] Russian president”. It also accused the billionaire of supporting the Russian government’s destabilisation of Ukraine. Usmanov has claimed the allegations are “false and defamatory” and vowed to legally challenge the sanctions.
Everton are in the process of constructing a new £500m-plus stadium on the Liverpool waterfront and claim the sanctions against Usmanov will not affect the development. The works so far have been funded by Moshiri and the club are looking to secure private borrowing for the rest.
Mykolenko will start Everton’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at home to non-league Boreham Wood on Thursday, Frank Lampard has confirmed. “He will play and that was a decision I made regardless of the outside situation,” the manager said. “It feels like training and potentially playing is a release for him. The conversations I have had I would rather keep private because they are delicate.
“At the moment we are giving him all the support and I am sure he feels that from our end. He is also a new player here and there are so many things that have happened, let alone coming to a new country, a new city and new football club as a young man. He is now having to contend with all this and he has our full support.”
The Uzbekistan-born billionaire is a close business associate of Everton’s majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, and involved in several multimillion-pound sponsorship deals with the club.
Usmanov’s USM Holdings company began a five-year sponsorship of Everton’s training ground worth about £12m a year in 2017 and paid £30m for a first naming rights option on the club’s new stadium. MegaFon, where Usmanov is the majority shareholder, and the Russian smartphone company Yota, which is part of the MegaFon group, sponsor Everton Women. Moshiri also has a shareholding in USM and MegaFon.
The Labour MP Chris Bryant has called for Everton to terminate their contracts with Usmanov in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Everton, who signed the Ukraine international Vitalii Mykolenko from Dynamo Kyiv in January, have suspended the deals so far. USM, MegaFon and Yota branding will be removed from their stadium, training ground and shirts.
A club statement read: “Everyone at Everton remains shocked and saddened by the appalling events unfolding in Ukraine. 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.
“The club can confirm that it has suspended with immediate effect all commercial sponsorship arrangements with the Russian companies USM, MegaFon and Yota.”
Usmanov has had his assets frozen by the EU and could be sanctioned by the UK government over his close links to Vladimir Putin. The EU has described the 68-year-old as a “pro-Kremlin oligarch with particularly close ties to [the] Russian president”. It also accused the billionaire of supporting the Russian government’s destabilisation of Ukraine. Usmanov has claimed the allegations are “false and defamatory” and vowed to legally challenge the sanctions.
Everton are in the process of constructing a new £500m-plus stadium on the Liverpool waterfront and claim the sanctions against Usmanov will not affect the development. The works so far have been funded by Moshiri and the club are looking to secure private borrowing for the rest.
Mykolenko will start Everton’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at home to non-league Boreham Wood on Thursday, Frank Lampard has confirmed. “He will play and that was a decision I made regardless of the outside situation,” the manager said. “It feels like training and potentially playing is a release for him. The conversations I have had I would rather keep private because they are delicate.
“At the moment we are giving him all the support and I am sure he feels that from our end. He is also a new player here and there are so many things that have happened, let alone coming to a new country, a new city and new football club as a young man. He is now having to contend with all this and he has our full support.”
