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German soccer teams add their voices to Russia boycott

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German second-division soccer club Schalke 04 announced on Monday it was ending its partnership with its main sponsor, Russian energy giant Gazprom.

The executive board made its announcement on the Schalke homepage and Twitter and said it had the full support of the supervisory board.

The move follows the announcement last week that the club would be removing Gazprom from their jerseys.
RB Leipzig chief executive officer Oliver Mintzlaff also announced that the German club are assuming their last-16 Europa League tie against Russian team Spartak Moscow will be cancelled.

RB Leipzig were due to host Spartak Moscow in the first leg on March 10, with the second leg scheduled for
March 17. But those matches seem to be under doubt following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier, German newspaper BILD reported that UEFA is planning to remove Spartak Moscow from the second-tier European competition.

Reuters has contacted UEFA for comment.

Also, German’s transport ministry said at the weekend that it was closing its airspace to Russian planes and airlines for three months. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation.”

“We continue to be in close contact with the associations and have complete confidence in UEFA and their decision. We assume the games will be cancelled,” Mintzlaff said in a statement on Monday.

Earlier, German newspaper BILD reported that UEFA is planning to remove Spartak Moscow from the second-tier European competition.

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