LONDON – The world of sport could not remain indifferent to what is happening in Ukraine. And so, from football to Formula 1, important decisions have been made to underline how isolated Russia is at the moment and how much sport does not live in a bubble or in a world apart.
Red devils look no further
In the United Kingdom, Manchester United has decided to renounce sponsorship of Aeroflot, the Russian flag carrier, which had taken over from Turkish Airlines since 2013. In recent years, the red devils have regularly flown with Aeroflot, but in light of Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, United has decided to sever ties with the company: “We share the concerns of our fans around the world. and we extend our condolences to those affected “, reads a short statement. United used charter airline Titan Airways for their Champions League round of 16 away match against Atletico Madrid earlier this week.
Four Englishmen competing for the Champions League final moved to Paris
There are currently four English teams still competing to win the most prestigious European tournament: Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City. The Ukrainian Oleksandr Zinchenko plays in the latter team. The coach, Pep Guardiola, has made it known that despite everything that is happening in his country, where there are also family members, the player remains available.
The anger and pain of the Ukrainian Zinchenko
Zinchenko, 25, took part in a vigil in central Manchester and the manager expressed support from the whole team. The defender had also posted on his Instagram profile a story with a photo of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and a sentence that left no room for interpretation: “I hope you die the most painful and suffering death.” The platform, however, removed the content, as the player himself explained. Given the results achieved on the pitch, the possibility is very high that at least one of the four English teams will reach the Champions League final, which, as decided in the last hours by UEFA, will no longer be played in St. Petersburg, but in Paris.
The position of the British government
During the last question Time in the House of Commons, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had wished to move the final from Russia, offering the hospitality of the United Kingdom. Yesterday it announced, in the sanctions package, the exclusion of Aeroflot from British air traffic.
Sir Hamilton is silent and the Sochi Grand Prix
No reaction and no comment, however, from the great British Formula 1 champion, Sir Lewis Hamilton, to the other important news of the day that combines sport and international politics: the Sochi Grand Prix has been canceled.
Source-tg24.sky.it