Barcelona VP Says Lionel Messi Could Help Club Expand Its Commercial Ties With Russia

Barcelona VP Javier Faus said the club wants to "use Lionel Messi to help expand commercial ties with Russia despite diplomatic tensions between Moscow and the West," according to Keith Weir of REUTERS. Faus said that Russia and Brazil were "places where the club did not have a major business partner and while Argentine Messi could help in Russia, Brazilian Neymar could do the same in his native country." Russia is facing the "threat of tougher economic sanctions over its support for separatists in Ukraine who are accused by the West of shooting down a Malaysian Airways passenger plane this month, killing 298 people" (REUTERS, 7/29).