Sporting sanctions can land significant blow on Putin, say experts

PARIS: Russia hosting the 2018 World Cup, the scandal-plagued 2014 Winter Olympics and Gazprom's sponsorship of the Champions League were powerful tools for the country's global image and gained Vladimir Putin prestige amongst the Russian population.

However, the Russian president's decision to invade Ukraine has resulted in destroying the warm global afterglow and experts believe it could cost him dearly internally.

St Petersburg has already been stripped of hosting this year's Champions League final with Gazprom's reported €40 million a year sponsorship deal with UEFA also in doubt.

The Russian Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled and there are calls for the country's football team to be expelled from the 2022 World Cup play-offs.

"Sport has always had a tremendous impact on society," Michael Payne, former head of marketing at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), told AFP.

"The South African sports boycott over apartheid probably had as much or greater impact than economic sanctions, over forcing regime policy change."

For Hugh Robertson, Chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA), a blanket sports ban could affect Putin's standing domestically.

"Sport is disproportionately important to absolutist regimes," he told AFP.

"The potential inability to compete would hit Russia hard."

Payne, who in nearly two decades at the IOC was widely credited with transforming its brand and finances through sponsorship, said Putin risked his standing with his own people.

"Putin may not care what the rest of the world thinks of him, but he has to care what the Russian people think of him," said the Irishman.

"Lose their support and it is game over - and the actions of the sports community has the potential to be a very important