Aston Villa cut ties with betting firm Parimatch after they were sanctioned by Ukraine
EXCLUSIVE: Aston Villa terminates marketing deal with betting firm Parimatch after Ukraine sanctions them for operating in Russia… with Chelsea, Newcastle and Leicester also expected to break ties with sponsor
- Parimatch is a Cyprus-based sports technology company and Aston Villa cuts ties
- The company is one of 287 gambling operators sanctioned by Ukraine this month
- Chelsea, Newcastle and Leicester could terminate agreements with Parimatch
Aston Villa have terminated their marketing deal with Parimatch after the bookmaker was sanctioned by Ukraine, with Chelsea, Newcastle and Leicester expected to follow suit shortly.
The Cyprus-based sports technology company was one of 287 betting operators sanctioned for continuing to operate in Russia earlier this month, accused by President Zelensky of seeking to profit financially from the invasion of Ukraine.
Sportsmail revealed a fortnight ago that Chelsea were reviewing their Parimatch contract due to particular sensitivity at Stamford Bridge over the Russian invasion, but Villa moved quicker to break ties.
Villa is understood to have mutually agreed to terminate his merchandising rights with Parimatch following constructive discussions.
Chelsea, Newcastle and Leicester are still in the process of liaising with Parimatch over their deals, but these are expected to end shortly.
Aston Villa are one of the clubs Parimatch worked with but have terminated their deal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the companies of seeking to profit financially from the invasion of his country, and the company continued to operate in Russia.
The issue is particularly pressing for Chelsea and Newcastle as both clubs have home games this weekend, and the Parimatch brand will be displayed on LED billboards at Stamford Bridge and St James Park.
The early layoffs will come as a relief to the Premier League, which, despite offering considerable financial support to Ukraine, has also faced scrutiny since the start of the war over its links to companies operating in Russia.
In June last year, the Premier League took decisive action by canceling its new six-year, £43m domestic television contract with Match TV, owned by state-owned energy company Gazprom.
At one point, Parimatch had sponsorship or marketing deals with more than a third of the Premier League, but their contracts with Brighton, Southampton and Everton expired before the start of this season and were not renewed.
Parimatch is one of the 287 bookmakers sanctioned by Ukraine after the invasion