EXCLUSIVE: Aston Villa terminate deal with bookmaker Parimatch after Ukraine sanctioned for working in Russia… with Chelsea, Newcastle and Leicester also expected to sever ties with sponsor
- Parimatch is a sports technology company based in Cyprus and has severed ties with Aston Villa
- The company is one of 287 bookmakers sanctioned by Ukraine this month
- Chelsea, Newcastle and Leicester can all close deals with Barimatch
Aston Villa have ended their sponsorship contract with Parimatch after Ukraine sanctioned the bookmaker, and Chelsea, Newcastle and Leicester are expected to follow suit soon.
The Cyprus-based sports technology company was one of 287 bookmakers sanctioned for continuing to operate in Russia earlier this month, with President Zelensky accusing them of seeking to profit financially from the invasion of Ukraine.
Sportsmail revealed a fortnight ago that Chelsea were reviewing their Parimatch contract due to sensitivity particularly at Stamford Bridge over the Russian invasion, but Villa moved faster to sever ties.
It is understood that Villa has mutually agreed to terminate its marketing rights with Parimatch after constructive talks.
Aston Villa is one of the clubs Barimatch worked with but ended her contract
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the companies of seeking to profit financially from the invasion of his country, with the company continuing to operate in Russia.
Chelsea, Newcastle and Leicester are still in the process of coordinating their deals with Barimatch, but a finalization is expected soon.
The issue is particularly urgent for Chelsea and Newcastle with both clubs having home matches this weekend and the Parimatch branding set to be displayed on LED billboards at Stamford Bridge and St James Park.
The Premier League’s expected terminations will come as a relief to the Premier League, which despite providing significant 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 English Premier League took decisive action by canceling its new six-year, £43m television contract in the country with Match TV, which is owned by state-controlled energy company Gazprom.
At one stage 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 have not been renewed.
Parimatch is one of the 287 betting companies sanctioned by Ukraine after the invasion
