Russia invades Ukraine: Adidas suspends partnership with Russian Football Federation
Adidas has announced that they have suspended their association with the Russian Football Federation after Russia began invasion of their neighbour, Ukraine.
German sports equipment manufacturer Adidas has announced that they have suspended their association with the Russian Football Federation. Their decision comes after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Back in 2020, the company generated 2.9 per cent of its turnover in the “Russia, Ukraine and CIS" regions.
Earlier, the UEFA also ended its sponsorship with Russian energy company Gazprom. FIFA, the global football governing body, has asked Russia to play games without its national flag and national anthem at neutral venues. But thereafter, the FIFA went ahead and suspended Russia, who were the host of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. “Adidas is suspending its partnership with the Russian Football Federation (RFS) with immediate effect," a spokesman of the company, was quoted as saying.
Russia-Ukraine War: UEFA and FIFA suspend Russia from competing until further notice
Yesterday, February 28, the UEFA and FIFA put forth their decision of suspending Russia and their club teams until further notice. A number of nations, including Poland, have shown their reluctance in playing Russia in the World Cup qualifiers.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people,” FIFA and UEFA said in a joint statement.
The World Cup in Qatar is set to take place this year and FIFA’s decision regarding Russia’s participation remains to be seen. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also recommended bans on Belarusian athletes.
Belarus has helped Russia by allowing its territory to be used for military attacks. The IOC has also withdrawn Russian president Vladimir Putin’s golden Olympic Order, which was awarded in 2001.
The IOC also said that it was needed to "protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants." The IOC also talked about the impact that the war has had on Ukrainian sports.
Image: AP/ Shutterstock
Published By : Azhar Mohamed
Published On: 1 March 2022 at 22:43 IST