Russia has been stripped of the right to host the Champions League final by UEFA on Friday with St. Petersburg replaced by Paris after the Russian one invasion of Ukraine.
The men’S final will still be held on May 28 but now at the 80,000-seat Stade de France after decision by the UEFA executive committee.
UEFA would like to express its thanks and appreciation to the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron for his staff support and commitment to have European club footballIt is the most prestigious game moved in France at a time of unprecedented crisis ”, European football is ruling body She said in a statement, according to the Associated Press (AP).
“Together with the French government UEFA will do it fully support multi-stakeholder efforts for ensure the disposition of to save for football players and their families in Ukraine who face terrible human suffering, destruction and displacement ”.
The Kremlin said it regretted the UEFA decision by saying the city it would have made a good guest for a festival of football”.
“It is a pity that a tale decision era made”said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov from Agence-France Presse (AFP).
“St. Petersburg could have provided the best possible conditions for holding this football event. “
The meeting also decided that i club Russians and Ukrainians e national teams in Uefa competitions will have to play in neutral offices until further notice.
Spartak Moscow, in the Europa League is the only one club from Russia or Ukraine still involved in European competition this season.
Russia is also set to host Poland while Ukraine visits Scotland next month in the World Cup playoffs semifinals. These are regulated by football’S global FIFA nodal agency and may now force both nations a play They matches on neutral ground, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (Dpa) reported.
The Stade de France last hosted the Champions final 16 years ago when Barcelona beat Arsenal in the 2006 finale.
The 68,000-seat St. Petersburg stadium was originally chosen in 2019 to host the final in 2021. That was postponed Of one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move undress St. Petersburg of the final follows the calls of a group of European legislators who UEFA asked on Thursday to change location and stop thinking about Russian cities for greater international football competitions.
The legislators also asked UEFA to end Gazprom sponsorship of the continent’s elite club competition. The UEFA communiqué on Friday made no mention of Gazprom, on the other hand.
The stadium is called for Gazprom, a Russian state-owned energy company also a high-level UEFA sponsor of the Champions League and the European Championship.
Alexander Dyukov, member of the UEFA executive committee also the CEO of a subsidiary of Gazprom.
The Champions League 2023 final And set to contest in Istanbul with Wembley in London hosting the following year and the Allianz Arena in Munich, the venue for the final in 2025.
