NEW VENUE
Champions League final moved to Paris as UEFA strip St Petersburg of showpiece match in response to Russia invasion of Ukraine
The 2022 Champions League final has been moved to Paris, UEFA have confirmed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The event, which is due to take place on Saturday, May 28, was originally due to take place in Saint Petersburg at the Gazprom Stadium.
5
However the decision has been made to relocate the biggest match in European football after an emergency meeting at European football's governing body.
As a result, the fixture will now be played at the Stade De France, Paris.
UEFA have also said that the home games of Ukrainian and Russian club and national teams competing in UEFA competitions will be played at neutral venues 'until further notice'.
UEFA's official statement read: "The UEFA Executive Committee today held an extraordinary meeting following the grave escalation of the security situation in Europe.
Most read in Champions League
"The UEFA Executive Committee decided to relocate the final of the 2021/22 UEFA Men’s Champions League from Saint Petersburg to Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The game will be played as initially scheduled on Saturday 28 May at 21:00 CET.
"UEFA wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to French Republic President Emmanuel Macron for his personal support and commitment to have European club football’s most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis. Together with the French government, UEFA will fully support multi-stakeholder efforts to ensure the provision of rescue for football players and their families in Ukraine who face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement.
"At today’s meeting, the UEFA Executive Committee also decided that Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams competing in UEFA competitions will be required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.
"The UEFA Executive Committee further determined to remain on standby to convene further extraordinary meetings, on a regular ongoing basis where required, to reassess the legal and factual situation as it evolves and adopt further decisions as necessary."
5
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss spoke to talkSPORT’s sister station earlier this week, stating her belief that they should be stripped as hosts of the Champions League final as they prepared to provoke military action in Ukraine.
“My view on the final in is that it shouldn’t go ahead. Russia has denied the existence of another sovereign state,” she told Times Radio.
“It is preparing for a full scale invasion of Ukraine.
“It’s been roundly condemned by the international community. I think it would be completely wrong for a football tournament to take place there.”
5
Before later adding: “My view on the final in St Petersburg is it shouldn’t go ahead. If I was on an English team I would boycott it.
“If I was a player I certainly wouldn’t want to be part of that.”
With the Champions League final being moved, attention now turns to Russia's involvement in both club and internatiional contests.
Ukraine had urged UEFA to expel Russia national team and clubs from all competitions - but that notion was turned down, with Spartak Moscow the only Russian club still competing in this season's club competitions.
This followed a statement on Thursday afternoon from the the football associations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic calling for World Cup play-off matches not to be played in Russia.
5
Poland are set to play Russia on March 24 in a World Cup qualifier, with the winner taking on either Sweden or the Czech Republic, however FIFA president Gianni Infantino says that no decision has yet been made.
"The situation that we have all discovered this morning is obviously very tragic and very worrying and we have a duty to look at this matter seriously to analyse it," said Infantino.
"We received this letter just shortly before the meeting and we will look at it as a matter of urgency.
"The first match is one month from now and of course we hope that this whole situation will be solved before then - well before then, as soon as possible. We want to strongly believe in that.
"But we have a body in place, the bureau, who can take a decision at any time. We are analysing the situation and we will take the decision when we have to take it."
Read More on talkSPORT
5
Infantino, who also reaffirmed his faith in sport to bring people together when asked whether he had any regrets over staging the 2018 World Cup in Russia, added: "FIFA expresses hope for a rapid cessation of hostilities and for peace in Ukraine. FIFA condemns as well the use of force by Russia in Ukraine and any type of violence to resolve conflicts.
"Violence is never a solution and therefore we call on all parties to restore peace through constructive dialogue. And of course FIFA continues to express our solidarity to the people affected by this conflict."