Former Everton director Sarvar Ismailov has been sanctioned by the British Government.
Ismailov, a nephew of already-sanctioned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, was today named among a list of new figures to be hit with action. The sanctions follow the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ismailov, whose assets have been frozen, was appointed to the club's board of directors last year before stepping down in November due to "personal and health reasons". He had also held commercial roles within the club.
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The Government today announced a new package of sanctions, primarily targeting what it described as "Kremlin imposed officials" in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. Relatives of Usmanov have also been targeted.
In a statement, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: "Also sanctioned today are Sarvar and Sanjar Ismailov, nephews of major Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov who has close ties to the Kremlin. Both Sarvar and Sanjar have significant interests in the UK, it is believed that they own homes in Highgate and Hampstead Heath."
Both have had their assets frozen. Their father, Gulbakhor Ismailova, was sanctioned in April.
Sarvar initially joined Everton in 2019 before becoming Global Commercial Consultant and then Everton Women’s first Sporting and Commercial Director and a member of the Everton Women Strategic Leadership Team in 2020. He then had a brief stint on the club's board of directors before stepping down. His departure was confirmed in a club statement that said: "Everton Football Club can confirm that Sarvar Ismailov has stepped down from his duties for personal and health reasons. He has resigned from the club’s board of directors and the positions of Owner’s Executive Representative and Sporting and Commercial Director at Everton Women. The decision was taken by Mr Ismailov and is effective immediately."
Usmanov was sanctioned by the European Union in February in the immediate aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He was named in the Official Journal of the EU as a "pro-Kremlin oligarch with particularly close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin". The document added: "[Usmanov] has been referred to as one of Vladimir Putin’s favorite oligarchs. He is considered to be one of Russia’s businessmen-officials, who were entrusted with servicing financial flows, but their positions depend on the will of the President."
The EU report went on to conclude that Usmanov "actively supported materially or financially Russian decision-makers responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Ukraine" and "actively supported the Russian government’s policies of destabilisation of Ukraine."
The Uzbekistan-born billionaire, who has since vowed to challenge the sanctions, had links to Everton through his company USM Holdings, which provided a number of sponsorship agreements. USM first entered into a naming rights deal with the club in 2017 on an initial five-year contract, with Everton's training ground being renamed USM Finch Farm. A series of further commercial agreements then followed, including with USM-affiliated companies Yota and Megafon, but all were suspended by Everton after Usmanov was made the subject of sanctions.
A club statement confirmed: "Everyone at Everton remains shocked and saddened by the appalling events unfolding in Ukraine. This tragic situation must end as soon as possible, and any further loss of life must be avoided. The players, coaching staff and everyone working at Everton are providing full support to our player Vitalii Mykolenko [who is from Ukraine] and his family and will continue to do so. The club can confirm that it has suspended with immediate effect all commercial sponsorship arrangements with the Russian companies USM, Megafon and Yota."
The club has since made a contribution of £250,000 to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Chairman Bill Kenwright and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri matched that figure, taking the total donation to £500,000. The appeal was promoted on the shirts of the men's first team in the final weeks of last season and, on Friday, Everton will host Ukrainian team Dynamo Kyiv in a friendly to support the fundraising campaign.
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