Official: UEFA withdraws Russia from Champions League final - and announces new venue
Created: 02/25/2022, 11:10 am
By: Marius Epp
Some balls will probably have to be reprinted: the Champions League final will not take place in St. Petersburg.
© Javier Garcia/imago
Due to the war situation between Russia and Ukraine, UEFA has postponed the Champions League final.
The game will not take place in Russia.
Update from February 25, 10:56 a.m .:
The decision is made!
UEFA announced on Friday morning that the Champions League final will not be held in Russia.
Instead of in St. Petersburg, the most important game at European club level will take place in Paris.
"UEFA's Executive Committee has decided to move the Champions League final to the Stade de France," read an official statement.
The association would like to thank French President Emmanuel Macron, who apparently personally advocated a move to France.
Champions League: Ukraine war causes the final to be postponed
First report from February 25:
Nyon – Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine* endangers European peace.
The Russian invasion is having an initial impact on sport: the final of the Champions League* is unlikely to take place in Russia as planned.
As the
AP
news agency reports, UEFA* wants to withdraw the final of the premier class from the Russian metropolis of St. Petersburg.
According to the English newspaper
Times
, the decision has already been made.
The association has convened an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee on Friday (10 a.m.).
There the situation is to be assessed and necessary decisions made.
Champions League: UEFA wants to deprive Russia of the final
UEFA is already working on contingency plans.
A pinnacle of top-flight football in the living room of a nation waging a war of aggression?
Unthinkable.
It was initially unclear whether an alternative location would be decided at the meeting on Friday.
An event in England is currently being discussed.
Further information on the procedure "will be announced after the meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee," it said.
In DFB interim president Rainer Koch and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge*, the former CEO of Bayern Munich, there are also two German representatives on the executive committee.
Champions League final will probably be relocated
No changes were initially planned for games in the Europa League involving Russian teams.
"Currently, all matches will take place as planned," said UEFA.
Two Russian teams remain in the competition in Zenit St. Petersburg and Spartak Moscow.
Politicians are calling on the sports associations to act immediately.
Not only the final of the Champions League is affected, several other sporting events are planned in Russia and Ukraine in 2022 - for example various winter sports events and the men's volleyball world championship.
"The Champions League final must not take place in Russia under any circumstances," said Philipp Hartewig, sports policy spokesman for the FDP, at the request of the
sports information service (SID)
.
"UEFA must find another venue immediately."
(epp/dpa/SID) *tz.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
