Manchester United’s sponsor Aeroflot, which provides planes for the club, has been banned from Britain as PM Boris Johnson imposes further sanctions on Russia.
United have been sponsored by Aeroflot, the Russian-owned airways company, since 2013 but after Russia declared war on Ukraine on Thursday – that relationship appears to be over.
Earlier on Thursday, Mirror Football reported that United were preparing to end the £40million agreement – which had been extended in 2017.
The English giants are keen to distance themselves from the firm - following the Russian invasion of its neighbouring country, with the UK government now acting against Aeroflot.
The airways company has been described as the “official carrier” of Manchester United on the club’s website, and it is the national airline of Russia and flies to 146 destinations across 52 countries.
There will now be a ban on all Aeroflot flights within the UK both entering and exiting the nation.
The current sponsorship agreement is set to run out in the summer of 2023 - and United’s new CEO Richard Arnold – who replaced Ed Woodward in the role this month - has no intention of renewing it.
The news comes after United did not use Aeroflot for their midweek Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid for the first leg of their Round of 16 tie.
Ralf Rangnick and his squad flew to the Spanish capital this week on alternative airline Titan in the latest indication that the sponsorship with Aeroflot may be at an end.
It means United are now looking to agree a deal with a different airline for them to be the club’s official carriers - with Qatar Airways said to be one option under consideration from chiefs at Old Trafford.
The club are wary of the potential damage to the club’s image and commercial appeal if it continues to be associated with Aeroflot.
It has been suggested that the United States government may also decide to issue sanctions against Russian companies, including banning Aeroflot from entering the country.
The United States previously imposed on a ban on Aeroflot in 1982, which lasted through until 1990, as then-president Ronald Reagan citing the Soviet-led crackdown against the Polish trade union movement (Solidarity).
At the time, Aeroflot was world’s largest airline, with a worldwide network and bases in many Soviet Socialist Republics.
The Glazer family who own United may be wary about the ramifications of being linked to Aeroflot amid the developing situation.
