Zurich, Feb. 25 (BNA) The European Football Association (UEFA) has moved this year’s Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris, UEFA said in a statement on Friday.
UEFA also said that home matches of Ukrainian and Russian clubs and national teams competing in UEFA competitions will be played at neutral venues “until further notice,” Reuters reported.
The board thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for his “personal support and commitment” in facing the final.
It added that it would “fully support the efforts of multiple stakeholders to ensure the provision of rescue to football players and their families in Ukraine who are facing dire humanitarian suffering and displacement.”
The Champions League final was scheduled to take place at Zenit St Petersburg on May 28, when thousands of fans from across the continent were expected to attend the exhibition match in European football.
“It is a shame that such a decision was taken. St. Petersburg could have provided all the favorable conditions for the holding of this football festival,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.
British Culture Secretary Nadine Doris, who is responsible for sport, backed UEFA’s decision.
“I welcome the decisive action taken by UEFA to strip St Petersburg of qualification for this year’s Champions League final.
St Petersburg is better known as Gazprom Stadium after a sponsorship deal with Russia’s state energy company, which also sponsors the Champions League and national team competition Euro 2024.
Russian Football Union (RFU) President Alexander Dyukov, who is also with UEFA and CEO of Gazprom’s subsidiary Gazprom Neft, criticized the UEFA move.
“We believe that the decision to move the venue of the Champions League final was dictated by political reasons. The Russian Federation has always adhered to the principle of ‘sports outside politics’, and therefore cannot support this decision,” he said in a statement. Statement on the RFU’s website.
“The Russian Federation also does not support the decision to transfer any matches involving Russian teams to a neutral ground as a violation of the principle of sport and against the interests of players, coaches and fans,” he added.
The 2023 UEFA Champions League Final is scheduled to take place in Istanbul, with Wembley hosting in London the following year and the Allianz Arena in Munich to host the final in 2025.