Ukraine invasion: the sporting sanctions hitting Russia, from stripping Putin of judo honour to cancelling major events

Sport federations from around the world have moved to cut ties with Russia and move major events out of the country

Putin, well-known for using sports to bolster his ‘strong man’ image, has been stripped as honorary president of International Judo Federation

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Dinamo Zagreb supporters hold a banner in support of Ukraine during the UEFA Europa League football second leg match between Dinamo Zagreb and Sevilla FC. Photo AFP

Published: 4:15pm, 28 Feb 2022Updated: 1:22pm, 9 Mar 2022

Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is having a major impact on the world of sport. Governing bodies and sporting federations have responded by cutting ties with Russia over major events, cancelling sponsorship deals with Russian companies, while Putin has himself been stripped of honorary sporting titles.

Here’s a closer look at the impact Putin’s war on Ukraine is having on sport across Europe and the world.

Football

Football has been among the quickest to react to the crisis in Ukraine, with clubs and fans among the most vocal in their opposition to Russia’s aggression.

Uefa, the game’s governing body in Europe, was the first to react, relocating the Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris. It is also considering ending its €40 million a year sponsorship deal with Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom.

Fifa meanwhile has been hit with a backlash after it failed to expel Russia from the World Cup, and could yet be forced to take the ultimate step after Polish, Swedish, Czech, English and Welsh football bosses said their teams would not play against Russia for the foreseeable future.

In Germany, Schalke announced it was removing the logo of its main sponsor, Gazprom, from players’ shirts, while Manchester United terminated a lucrative sponsorship deal with Aeroflot, which the British government had already banned from UK airports.