The 2022 final of the Champions League has been moved from St Petersburg to Paris, France due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European soccer’s governing body said in a statement on Friday.
KAMPALA | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, UEFA has announced the 2022 Champions League final will be held at the Stade de France in Paris after the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg was stripped of hosting rights.
Additionally, UEFA has announced that its competitions will be played at neutral venues until further notice for clubs and national teams from Ukraine and Russia.
“Until further notice”, UEFA also announced that home games of Ukrainian and Russian clubs and national teams competing in UEFA competitions would be played at neutral venues.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin presided over an extraordinary meeting convened by political tensions in Eastern Europe on Thursday.
Originally scheduled for May 28, the 2022 Champions League final will now be played in Paris at the Stade de France.
In 2006, the Stade de France hosted a Champions League final when Barcelona defeated Arsenal 2-1.
Barcelona had eliminated Chelsea in the Round of 16 with a red card earned from a tackle by 18-year-old Lionel Messi against Asier Del Horno in the 1st leg.
UEFA issues a statement
A statement from UEFA reads: “The UEFA Executive Committee today held an extraordinary meeting following the grave escalation of the security situation in Europe.”
“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 the 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 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.”
