Champions League final shifted from St. Petersburg to Paris, amid Russia-Ukraine crisis

For the third consecutive year in a row, the Champions League final will not be held in the city as planned beforehand. UEFA are set to strip Russia of the rights for hosting this year’s summit clash of the Champions League which was originally planned to be hosted by Saint Petersburg. 

Arguably one of the biggest club competitions in Europe, the Champions League attracts fans from all across the world. The final of the premier club competition was slated to be held at St. Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena but after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, UEFA, which is the governing body of European football have decided to hold the epic finale at Paris’ Stade de France on 28th May. 

“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,” read a statement on UEFA’s official website. 

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Earlier on Friday, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin had decided to call an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee in order to evaluate the situation. 

Official. Uefa have moved the Champions League final from Saint Petersburg to Paris.  #UCL

 Stade de France, May 28, h21. pic.twitter.com/Rz6pst9sgr

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 25, 2022

They have come to the conclusion, that it would be best under the current scheme of things that the final of the Champions League be held in Paris, rather than Saint Petersburg, as originally, planned. 

For the first time in 14 years, Russia was awarded the rights to host the Champions League final, in 2008, Manchester United defeated Chelsea in a nervy penalty shootout in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. 

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Another crucial decision that UEFA took, was that Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams, competing in UEFA competitions will play their upcoming matches at neutral venues. 

“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,” informed UEFA’s website.