Ex-German Chancellor Schroeder loses honorary football spot over Russian links

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - The German Football Association on Friday revoked former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's honorary membership status for his close links with Russian state-owned companies.

"Gerhard Schroeder is no longer an honorary member of the German Football Association (DFB). The delegates at the 44th Ordinary DFB Bundestag in Bonn spoke out in favor of the immediate withdrawal of the honorary membership of the former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany," the group said in a statement.

The German football body said that last week that Schroeder, 77, was asked to leave his positions at Russian state-owned companies or resign from the body.

Since he failed to do so, Schroeder’s honorary member status was revoked.

Schroeder was named an honorary member of the group in 2005.

He served as Germany’s chancellor from 1998 to 2005.

Before Russia's war on Ukraine, Schroeder was nominated to join the board of Russian gas giant Gazprom.

Schroeder has been the chairman of Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft since 2017.

On March 2, Borussia Dortmund also revoked his honorary membership at the German Bundesliga club for the same reason.

Russia’s war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.

At least 564 civilians have been killed and 957 others injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, the UN has said, while also cautioning that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.

Over 2.5 million people have fled to neighboring countries, with about 2 million more estimated to be displaced inside Ukraine, according to the UN refugee agency.