Manchester United Drop Russian Sponsor Aeroflot Amid Ukraine Invasion

Sports

English football club Manchester United have dropped their “Official Carrier” sponsorship with Russian Airline Aeroflot after the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to The Independent, a spokesperson said, “In light of events in Ukraine, we have withdrawn Aeroflot’s sponsorship rights. We share the concerns of our fans around the world and extend our sympathies to those affected.”

Geeks + Gamers has confirmed this through the Manchester United Website. The page linking to Aeroflot’s affiliation with Manchester United now shows an error message, as seen below.

Aeroflot had sponsored Manchester United as their “Official Carrier,” having renewed their deal in 2017 to the tune of around £40m. According to The Mirror, “The current agreement is set to run out in the summer of 2023 – and United’s new CEO Richard Arnold has no intention of renewing it.”

The move comes as the United Kingdom has banned several Russian companies as part of sanctions against the country currently invading neighboring Ukraine. According to The Express, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “ban on certain Russian companies will have a huge impact on Manchester United’s income, after he stated that Red Devils’ sponsor Aeroflot would be banned from trade in the UK – costing the club £8million-per-season.”

Not long before this, UEFA announced they would be moving the Champions League Final from Saint Petersburg to Paris, and Formula 1 announced they would be abandoning Russia’s Sochi circuit later this year.