The sale of Schalke 04 shirts without the logo of the club’s former Russian sponsor Gazprom has skyrocketed and the entity’s digital store has collapsed.
“The interest in the special shirt with the ‘Schalke 04’ logo (instead of the sponsor’s name) is huge. That has led to a saturation of the digital store”, reported the club in a statement.
The shirt was released after, in reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Schalke decided to terminate its sponsorship contract with the Russian state consortium Gazprom.
The shirt, priced at 69.95 euros, can now be requested through a form, the club said, explaining that there are 7,000 available and that if demand exceeds that offer there will be a draw among those interested.
The contract with Gazprom guaranteed Schalke, currently in the second division, 9 million euros a year.
In case of promotion to the highest category, the income would have increased to 15 million euros per year.
Schalke’s relationship with Gazprom has drawn harsh criticism from fans since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.
Criticism has increased with the ongoing attack on Ukraine and the club has opted to break ties with the Russian gas giant and is looking for a sponsor.
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans Joachim Watzke has suggested that the other German clubs help Schalke to mitigate the financial consequences of this decision.
Between Dortmund and Schalke, neighbors, there is a staunch rivalry.
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
