Not Russia, France to host UEFA Champions League 2021-22 final; fans laud UEFA
The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League final has been moved out of Saint Petersburg due to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict. It will now be played in Saint-Denis, while fans have demanded stripping Russia of other sporting events.
FollowIn a colossal development regarding the UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2021-22, the final has been moved out of Russia. It was scheduled to be played at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg. However, the prevailing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has forced the game to be moved out of the country.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced on Friday that the match will now be played in France. The Stade de France in Saint-Denis is the new venue. “The UEFA Executive Committee today held an extraordinary meeting following the grave escalation of the security situation in Europe,” UEFA said in a statement.
“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,” the release further read.
“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,” it concluded.
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Earlier, UEFA had condemned the brutal attacks by Russia on its neighbouring country of Ukraine. It asserted that it was dealing with the situation with utmost urgency. “As the governing body of European football, UEFA is working tirelessly to develop and promote football according to common European values such as peace and respect for human rights, in the spirit of the Olympic Charter. We remain resolute in our solidarity with the football community in Ukraine and stand ready to extend our hand to the Ukrainian people,” it stated.
