UEFA: No rainbow-colour ads at Euro 2020 in Russia, Azerbaijan

UEFA sponsors such as Volkswagen have been barred from using rainbow-coloured ads on billboards in St Petersburg and Baku.

UEFA has asked its main sponsors, including carmaker Volkswagen, not to display advertising banners in the rainbow colours of the LGBTQ community in Baku and St Petersburg for Euro 2020 matches, citing compliance with local laws. “Due to UEFA’s concerns about the legal framework for venues in Russia and Azerbaijan, the association informed us it wouldn’t be possible to use rainbow-coloured advertising on billboards in Saint Petersburg and Baku,” German car giant Volkswagen wrote in a statement. When contacted by the AFP news agency, a spokesman said while UEFA “fully supports” messages of “tolerance and respect”, it asks sponsors “to ensure that their design complies with local legislation and this was not the case in Baku and Saint Petersburg”.