March 21 – Football’s commercial sponsorship backlash over the Russian invasion of Ukraine is continuing. Russian online bookmaker Fonbet has had three major club sponsorships cancelled, while Parimatch tech is redefining its deal with Chelsea.
AC Milan has suspended its partnership with Russia-based Fonbet with immediate effect, following similar moves by both PSG and Real Madrid.
PSG first signed a deal with Fonbet in 2019, renewed in 2021 and was due to renew again in 2023. AC Milan and Real Madrid only signed deals last year.
All three clubs had advertising packages that saw the Fonbet logo and messaging across digital platforms and on stadium pitch signage, and the bookmaker offer special odds to registered fans of the clubs.
PSG is further embedded in Moscow operating an academy that has about 500 players attending. The club said that its operations would continue.
Ukraine-based bookmaker on the frontline
Parimatch Tech has been very vocal in its support of Ukraine and has doubled its financial assistance to about €2.9 million.
The company said it had spent the €1.2 million on supplying ammunition and €100,000 on medicines, clothing, foodstuffs and logistics.
It said the next €550,000 would be spent on humanitarian aid, binoculars, body armour, drones, helmets, military spec, thermal imagers, and night vision devices.
Parimatch Tech and Parimatch Ukraine employees are also taking part in volunteer activities including; buying goods and medicine, cooking meals for territorial defence and refugees, delivering food and drugs to people in need and evacuating residents.
The company has also organised warehouses in Kyiv that volunteers use to gather, coordinate and deliver humanitarian aid.
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