Schalke is joined by Manchester United, which has terminated its contract with Russian Aeroflot

Manchester United has announced the end of its cooperation with Russian state airline Aeroflot. The move was made by the English major in response to events in Ukraine. United players were already due to use rival firm Titan Airways for Tuesday’s match against Atlético Madrid, before the start of Thursday’s Russian invasion of Ukraine.

So far, Germany’s Schalke 04 have taken a similar step, opting to replace the logo of Russian gas giant Gazprom on their jerseys with their club’s name. However, the team from the second Bundesliga has not yet confirmed the termination of its cooperation with Gazprom.

Manchester United, on the other hand, announced on its club website the complete end of its cooperation with the Russian company Aeroflot: “In view of the events in Ukraine, we have withdrawn Aeroflot’s sponsorship rights.”

The English club had a long-term contract with the Russians since 2013. United’s deal with the Russian airline was updated in 2017, reportedly to £40m, and was due to expire in 2023. Aeroflot currently flies to 146 destinations in 52 countries.

As well as transporting the team around Ronaldo and co around the world, Aeroflot has also provided United with travel and logistics advice. The Red Devils will now look for a new transport partner. Qatar Airways is under consideration.

The club’s website further commented on the matter, “We share the concerns of our fans around the world and express our sympathy for those affected.”

United were set to receive a total of £100 million over nine years from the business partnership with Aeroflot. However, Manchester’s share price has fallen by 7% on the stock market in the last two weeks. There is speculation that its links to Aeroflot in the wake of the Ukraine crisis may have caused this.

The Champions League final has already been moved from St Petersburg to Paris in connection with the situation in Ukraine. However, UEFA has so far been reluctant to end its cooperation with the aforementioned Gazprom.

Source: Manchester United, Daily Mail, Schalke 04