Now the sport has to show itself

And now? Now suddenly there are thousands of question marks in the sky again and hardly any answers to the most pressing questions. Above all, what reaction the Western world is showing or, better yet, can show to Russia's attack on Ukraine. Sanctions, condemnations, in the strongest possible terms, of course, and a few small reactions. That's not much so far and probably only elicits a tired smile from the ruler in the Kremlin. It's probably true that Putin doesn't give a damn what the world thinks about him. And I assume he won't care much if English Prime Minister Boris Johnson demands, during a break from the party, that the European Football Union (UEFA) take away the hosting of the Champions League final from St. Petersburg. After all, it would be a start for reactions from sport to stand alongside the political mechanisms in partnership.

London has the highest density of Russian oligarchs. Chelsea FC, for example, is majority owned by Roman Abramovich, who became rich from Russian oil. He recently presented his latest yacht, which is said to have cost a mere 500 million euros. It's small needle pricks that Johnson gives out. Presumably this only scratches the surface for those they are meant to target. Manchester United shows how inconsistent the sport's approach is in this situation, which could result in a new political order in Europe. The Aeroflot flight back to England from the Champions League game in Madrid was canceled. Instead, a private charter company was used. But: The contract with sponsor Aeroflot should not be affected by this. In addition, the flight cancellation is said to have been discussed with Aeroflot. The whole campaign is nothing more than a fig leaf. Meanwhile, nothing is heard from the UEFA control center in Switzerland. UEFA President Alexander Ceferin (Slovenia) remains silent about the fact that Gazprom is one of the main sponsors of his association, including for the European Championships, such as the one in Germany in 2024. But the national associations, which UEFA ultimately represents, are keeping a low profile. Sport retreats into its shell Nobody can seriously imagine that a European Football Championship in Germany would be accompanied by the word “Gazprom”. Aggressive and constantly present. No, that is just as impossible as FC Schalke 04 playing in the second division with Russian support. The traditional club is also closely linked to the state-owned company from Russia. But everywhere you can only hear evasive lip service. The sport is withdrawing into its shell and wants to have as little to do with Russian aggression as possible. Bring on the money. No, the sport sees no tanks, no cannons and feels safe at home. The explosions are far away. Eastern Ukraine? Similar behavior was observed during the Balkan War in the early 90s. Everyone selfishly wants to defend their oasis of well-being, even if outside, almost on their doorstep, the world is in ruins. Now could, indeed should, be the time for all sports officials. The UEFA Executive Committee should have met long ago, which also includes Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and the interim president of the German Football Association (DFB) Rainer Koch.

Alexander Ceferin is silent about the fact that Gazprom is one of the main sponsors of UEFA. © APA/afp / RICHARD JUILLIART

Sport cannot simply close its eyes, but must do so wherever it can act, because empty words alone are swallowed up by gun smoke in Ukraine. Given the threat posed by Putin, exclusion from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would be just as conceivable as a ban on participation in the next European Championship or the Champions League for Russian clubs. But I suspect, almost in desperation, that it will never come to that, because the financial dependencies on Russia have long been a shackles, the knots of which restrict all freedom of movement. “I can no longer get rid of the spirits that I called.” Johann Wolfgang by Goethe, already demonstrated philosophical foresight in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”. Of course, one would have been happy to forego confirmation of these wise words these days.

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Now the sport has to show itself

Russia's aggression towards Ukraine will also have an impact on sports across Europe. In this context, our columnist Sigi Heinrich primarily refers to the Russian state-owned company “Gazprom’s” diverse sponsorship agreements with associations and clubs, which must now be put to the test.

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