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A John Terry interview scheduled to go out on the European network, CANAL+ SPORT, has been pulled from the air following the Chelsea legend’s comments regarding club owner Roman Abramovich.
As reported by journalist Jakub Krupa, a pre-recorded conversation with fellow Polish interviewer Tomasz Cwiakala was removed from the regular broadcast schedule after Terry tweeted appearing to show support for Abramovich, who announced he would be selling Chelsea earlier this week.
Poland's Premier League rights holder & main sports TV channel @CANALPLUS_SPORT pulls @cwiakala's pre-recorded interview with John Terry after this tweet in solidarity with Ukraine, saying his praise for Russian oligarch Abramovich during the invasion on Ukraine is "tone deaf". https://t.co/fPdIElXuUz
— Jakub Krupa (@JakubKrupa) March 4, 2022
CANAL+ SPORT is a French channel that supplies the rights for Poland and a number of other countries to watch the Premier League but, as you can see, the interview has been scrapped in solidarity with the Ukrainian people amid the ongoing invasion.
Terry, 41, has received swathes of criticism and calls to take down the post following what many, like, Cwiakala and Krupa, have called a “tone deaf” stance on the current situation. Labour MP Chris Bryant called his comments “appalling”.
Nevertheless, the tweet still remains on his account; the former defender and current Aston Villa coach is yet to respond further.
Abramovich is one of many Russian oligarchs who are alleged to have pumped ill-gotten gains into the British economy and his influence on English football is one that has been questioned ever since he first arrived in 2003.
The 55-year-old billionaire, along with the likes of Alisher Usmanov and Igor Shuvalov, all have properties and/or businesses registered in Britain and more pressure is being mounted on the UK government to enact more punitive sanctions.
Related links
- Explained: What happens if Roman Abramovich can’t sell Chelsea?
- Anatoliy Tymoshchuk’s former Ukraine teammates criticise him for remaining at Zenit
- Eddie Howe grilled by journalist over Russia-Saudi Arabia comparison
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