Rivals urge Everton to oust Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov
Give Alisher Usmanov the BOOT: Premier League rivals urge Everton to sever ties with Russian oligarch who helps to bankroll club and has a close relationship with both their owner Farhad Moshiri and Vladimir Putin
- There have been calls for Everton to ditch Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov
- He is a financial backer of Everton due to his relationship with Farhad Moshiri
- But Usmanov had his assets frozen by the EU following the Russian invasion
- He could now be sanctioned by the UK government because of his links to Putin
Everton are under pressure from Premier League rivals to cut ties with Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, which would lead to doubts about the club’s ability to fund their new stadium.
The Uzbekistan-born businessman has had his assets frozen by the European Union and could soon be sanctioned by the UK government because of his links to Vladimir Putin, but remains a major financial backer of Everton due to his close relationship with owner Farhad Moshiri.
The chances of Usmanov severing his links with the club appear slim after he defended himself of any wrongdoing on Tuesday night. ‘The restrictive measures imposed on me by the European Union are unfair, and the reasons are a set of defamatory allegations damaging my honour, dignity and business reputation,’ he said.
Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov (above) is a major backer of Everton Football Club
Everton have refused to comment since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and regard Usmanov’s situation as an external matter because he is not a shareholder, but other clubs are understood to believe that position is untenable.
On Tuesday Everton’s Ukrainian defender Vitalii Mykolenko condemned Russian footballers for failing to speak out against the invasion. ‘You’re silent, bitch, with your team-mates,’ Mykolenko wrote on Instagram, addressing Russia captain Artem Dzyuba. ‘Peaceful civilians are being killed in Ukraine. You will be locked in your dungeon for the rest of your life. And I would be delighted.’
On Monday, the EU Council described Usmanov as ‘a pro-Kremlin oligarch with particularly close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin’.
Usmanov could be sanctioned by the UK government because of his links to Vladimir Putin (L)
The Premier League have so far left it to Everton to manage the situation but are under increasing pressure to take action, with Labour MP Chris Bryant insisting that Usmanov’s contracts with the club be terminated. ‘Everton should certainly be cutting ties with him already,’ Bryant told the House of Commons.
Usmanov has been seen as an influential figure at Everton since his long-time business partner Moshiri bought a 49.9 per cent stake six years ago.
The 68-year-old’s company, USM Holdings, pay £12million-a-year to sponsor the club’s training ground and in 2020 announced a £30m deal for a future naming-rights option on the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which will not open until at least 2024. Mobile phone company Megafon, in which Usmanov is a major shareholder, sponsor Everton Women.
Usmanov’s removal would cast doubts over the club’s ability to fund their new stadium
Moshiri is understood to have consulted Usmanov before making managerial appointments, and the Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday that he was present on Zoom when Frank Lampard was interviewed for the job last month. Everton insist he was not involved in that process and was concluding an unrelated call with Moshiri at the same time.
Meanwhile, the Premier League are reviewing their TV deal for Russia as current rights-holders Rambler Media are controlled by state-owned bank Sberbank.
The Government added Sberbank to their list of Russian entities sanctioned. The League’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season.
The European Clubs Association have suspended all seven of their Russian members.
Share this article
Source: Read Full Article