Hyundai suspend Chelsea sponsorship deal

Callum Boyle

They follow suit with Three

Hyundai have announced that they have suspended their sponsorship deal with Chelsea as a result of the sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich.

The Russian Oligarch had his UK assets frozen by the government on Thursday in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however Chelsea have been granted a special license to continue “football-related activities.”

Since the news broke of Abramovich’s sanctions, several sponsors of Chelsea have considered their deals with the club. The first of the major sponsors to suspend their deal was Three.

The telecommunications company sponsor the shirt of all of Chelsea’s kits and will not appear on any of the shirts as of this weekend, starting with their game against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Automotive manufacturer Hyundai are now the second to announce the termination of their sponsor with the European champions, as reported by The Athletic.

The South Korean company released a statement which read: “Hyundai has become one of the strongest partners in football over the years and the company supports the sport to be a force for good.

“Through our partnership with Chelsea FC, we are proud supporters of the players, the fans and grassroots football.

“However, in the current circumstances, we have taken the decision to suspend our marketing and communication activities with the Club until further notice.”

Chelsea’s kit manufacturers Nike have said that remain committed to its partnership, whilst their training kit sponsor Trivago said they will continue to sponsor the club, but called for new owners to take over “as soon as possible.”

They said: “As a global travel brand, we believe in connecting and bringing people together. These are values shared by Chelsea Football Club, an institution that is now 117 years old with a tradition so vitally important to its fans and communities, both locally and globally, and that is why we decided to partner with the Club last year.

“The uncertainty over the current ownership situation of Chelsea FC has been challenging. Moving forward, it is important to us to continue supporting the club, the fans and community along with the essential work that the Chelsea Foundation does to help those in need.

“We are looking forward to a transition of ownership as soon as possible and want to support the club in this process. We will provide any update to our business relationship if and when appropriate.”

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