Schalke, one of Germany's most renowned clubs is set to remove Russian gas company Gazprom's logo as their sponsors after the invasion of Ukraine.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, some corners of the sporting fraternity have come out strongly in their criticism. German football club Schalke 04 for example, have decided to remove Russian based gas company Gazprom as their shirt sponsors, after the invasion.
Gazprom has been the sponsor of Schalke since 2007, but in the wake of their invasion of Ukraine, Schalke have decided to take a strong stand against the state-owned gas company.
"In light of the events, developments and escalation of the past days, FC Schalke 04 has decided to remove the logo of the main sponsor, Gazprom, from the shirts," the second division club said in a statement.
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The decision comes after Schalke "had talks" with Gazprom's Germania subsidiary, and the club also revealed that instead of Gazprom's logo, players will carry the club name on their shirts.
Schalke are one of the most followed clubs in Germany and their move to sever ties with Gazprom has drawn plaudits from various quarters.
The club also announced that Matthias Warnig who is a representative of the sponsor within the Schalke board will also step down from his role.
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"Matthias Warnig informed FC Schalke 04's supervisory board on Thursday that he is to step down from his position with immediate effect, The 66-year-old has been part of the board as a representative of main sponsor Gazprom since July 2019," read a statement from the German club.
Schalke are currently playing in Germany's second division, popularly known as 2. Bundesliga, wherein they are in fifth place on league standings at the moment.
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