The Professional Football League has rejected any individual sanction against Russian players or the club from the principality. Its owner, who has lived on the Rock for ten years, is not affected by the measures taken by the European Union.
At a time when UEFA decided to move the Champions League final from Saint Petersburg to Paris, where Fifa ruled out “until further notice” the selection and the Russian clubs of all the competitions it organizes, including the next World Cup in Qatar, a question arises for AS Monaco: the club of the principality, owned by the Russian billionaire Dmitri Rybolovlev, will subject to direct or indirect sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine?
Main shareholder of the club, which plays its semi-final of the Coupe de France in Nantes this Wednesday evening, Rybolovlev has been a resident of the principality for more than ten years. He officially left Russia in 2010, after being forced to sell to relatives of Vladimir Putin his shares in Uralkali, a global potash giant, of which he was the majority shareholder and, according to his entourage, “it’s been a few years” that the billionaire, very discreet, has not returned to the country.
The one who made Monaco his base for his business has always sought to distance himself from senior Russian leaders. This does not mean that he was not worried or that his heritage, estimated at more than six billion euros, is not intriguing. Thus, his name appears on the “Putin Accountability Act”, a US Congress bill listing Russian nationals whose assets are likely to be frozen. The man, who has dual Russian and Cypriot nationality, has been trying for years to obtain Monegasque nationality.
No calls for a boycott in Ligue 1
From a sporting point of view, the Professional Football League (LFP) ensures that no individual sanction measure was planned against Russian or Belarusian players playing in L1 or L2, nor against the ‘AS Monaco, while explaining that it would align itself with any decisions taken by the national federations. In the Monegasque ranks evolves attacking midfielder Alexander Golovin, one of the pillars of the Russian selection.
As for the other French Ligue 1 teams, no voice has so far been raised to demand a boycott of the club. “There is no problem moving around and playing in Monaco. As much as we must give our support to Ukrainians and particularly to football players and coaches, we cannot blame anyone of Russian nationality”, for example, on Monday swept away the coach of Nice, Christophe Galtier, one of the most respected technicians in the championship.
The basketball club also led by a Russian
In addition to Rybolovlev, another Russian businessman is involved in Monaco sport. This is Alexej Fedoricsev, boss of Fedcom and new president of the Principality’s basketball club, engaged in the Euroleague. He also has Hungarian nationality. Former sponsor of the football club, he had tried at the end of 2002 to become the number one shareholder and to take over from Jean-Louis Campora, with the latter’s approval. Despite the club’s financial distress, Prince Rainier had vetoed it, preferring a Monegasque solution.
Rybolovlev and Fedoricsev are not targeted by European Union sanctions. Nor by Monegasque sanctions, while the principality assured Monday to align itself with the positions of the EU. “In accordance with its international commitments, the Principality has adopted and implemented, without delay, procedures for freezing funds and economic sanctions identical to those taken by most European States”, indicated Prince Albert’s cabinet.
Moreover, the Monegasque sovereign was present at the last victory of the Monaco basketball club against Fenerbahçe on Friday. Fedoricsev was at his side, as was the Ukrainian Sergei Dyadechko, vice-president of the club. The prince was also present at the Louis-II stadium during the defeat of ASM against Reims on Sunday. Rybolovlev and his daughter were at his side in the same box.