LONDON (UNITED KINGDOM), March 1 (dpa/EP) –
Russian investor and millionaire Alisher Usmanov, who has sponsorship links with Premier League club Everton, has had his assets frozen as part of sanctions imposed by the European Union in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
USM Holdings, owned by an Uzbekistan-born Usmanov, sponsors Everton’s training camp, with an initial five-year deal announced in 2017.
He also has an option on the naming rights to the ‘Toffees’ new stadium, a deal worth £30m free to the club.
The European Union statement points out that the restrictive measures include an “asset freeze” and the prohibition of making funds available to the persons and entities included in the list, with a travel ban for the persons included in the territory of the EU. .
The updated regulation describes Usmanov as a “pro-Kremlin oligarch with particularly close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.” He has been mentioned as one of Vladimir Putin’s favorite oligarchs. He is considered one of the businessmen-officials of Russia, who were entrusted with the service of financial flows, but his positions depend on the will of the president,” the EU said.
The EU reported that its Council had added 26 persons and one entity to the list of persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures with regard to actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.
And a regulation update in the Official Journal of the European Union said Usmanov, a longtime business partner of Everton owner Farhad Moshiri, was among the 26 implicated.