BREAKING: Russian gas giant Gazprom may be the main sponsor of Hungarian elite soccer club

Photo: MTI

Ferencváros won the Nemzeti Bajnokság (OTP Bank Liga, the Hungarian soccer national championships) yesterday, and Hungarian press writes that Russian gas giant Gazprom may become its main sponsor in the new season.

Russian gas giant Gazprom will give a lot of money to Fradi

Blikk, a Hungarian tabloid, wrote that it is an open secret that Gazprom will be Fradi’s main sponsor, giving billions of forints to the top Hungarian soccer club.

Gazprom is the world’s largest natural gas extractor. The Russian giant was the shirt sponsor of the German Schalke and was among the top supporters of the UEFA. However, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the club and the association terminated their contracts.

Meanwhile, the Serbian Crvena Zvezda still has the company’s name and logo on its shirts. According to Blikk’s Serbian informants, the Russian firm gives EUR 5 million to the club each season. Blikk speculated that Fradi’s support would be even higher than that sum.

Dejan Stankovic, the head coach of Fradi after the victory. Waiting for a payrise? Photo: MTI

Game-changer: star footballer will come to Fradi?

Gazprom’s money might be a game-changer for Fradi. For example, Schalke bought Real Madrid’s icon, Raúl, with the Russian gas money they got. Blikk wrote that the Russian money might mean a star footballer may arrive soon at Fradi’s Budapest stadium on Üllői Street.

The annual budget will exceed HUF 20 billion (EUR 50 million) in 2024. In 2022, it was HUF 17,2 billion.

A sports economist, Gábor Szabados, told Blikk he would not believe that Fradi would spend the extra money on a star footballer. He believes Fradi will buy several high-quality players.

Gazprom’s sponsorship will be strange for many, and some will probably criticise it, Mr Szabados believes. Officially, however, the UEFA cannot sanction Fradi because of it.

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