According to a media report, the deal with Schalke’s new main sponsor fell through shortly before the end of the negotiations. The club did not comment on the request.
Schalke are looking for a new main sponsor after the company “mein Auto.de” announced that it would no longer be the largest sponsor. According to a report by the broadcaster “Sky”, the deal with the new potential main sponsor, “Hydrogen Deutschland GmbH”, has now collapsed shortly before completion.
Schalke does not want to comment on negotiations
According to the media report, the reason for this is the “inadequate structure of the company”. Exactly what that means is unknown. The club said on Friday (June 9th, 2023) about the report when asked by WDR: “Schalke 04 generally does not comment on ongoing negotiations with potential partners and sponsors. This also applies to the case you mentioned.”
According to “Sky”, the deal with Schalke should bring the miners around seven million euros a year and run for three years.
Company allegedly with Russia contacts
The possible engagement had met with a lot of criticism in advance. The company, which was only founded in 2021, is managed by two Russian citizens, one of whom worked from 2011 to 2013 for the Russian Sberbank, which was sanctioned by many Western countries in the wake of the Russian war of aggression. He was then responsible for an investment company that, according to research by n-tv, is run by a Russian oligarch and Putin confidant.
In February 2022, Schalke prematurely ended its cooperation with the Russian energy company Gazprom as the main sponsor at the time due to the Russian war in Ukraine.