An announcement is expected in the next 24 hours
The Premier League and EFL are set to announce that they will terminate their deals with Russian broadcast services within the next 24 hours.
Lawyers have been given the all-clear from executives to tear up their contract with Rambler Media three months early with immediate effect, as revealed by The Telegraph.
Officials from the Premier League have previously stated that they would review their deals and received criticism after matches were broadcast in Russia during the weekend.
One sports channel in particular, Okko Sport, refrained from showing any of the pre-match tributes to Ukraine – instead cutting straight to the game – but were unable to hide a pro-Ukraine banner displayed in place of the match clock during their coverage of the Manchester derby.
However, as the war in Ukraine continues to escalate, competition executives have now agreed to stop the transmission of top-flight games in a bid to isolate Russia as feeds are expected to be cut off by Tuesday (March 8) at the latest.
The Football Association are also expected to follow suit and suspend deals for the FA Cup and the EFL for its own deal with Match TV and the privately-owned Football-TV, which were all set to end at the end of this year.
It follows after Sberbank, the company who owns Rambler Media, was recently added to the UK Treasury’s list of entities after foreign Secretary Liz Truss promising a “full asset freeze on all Russian banks in days.”
FIFA are also expected to allow foreign players contracted to domestic clubs to be allowed to temporarily move from Russian clubs until June 30.
It’s unlikely any Premier League clubs will be allowed to sign them as they remain reluctant to make alterations to their current transfer window.
EFL sides, however, may be presented with an opportunity to sign players departing Russia, after clubs including Nottingham Forest called for FIFA to make special dispensation for players wishing to leave following the invasion.
Related links:
- FIFA set to allow foreign players in Russia to break contracts
- Russian athlete who wore national war symbol faces lengthy ban
- Arsenal accused of hypocrisy over Ukraine after not backing Ozil’s Uighur campaign
