Izuchukwu Okosi
The Union of European Football Association (UEFA) announced Friday morning that the final of the 2022 Champions League final slated for the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg on May 28 will now be played in Paris, France.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe decision to move the game out of Russia is in response to the nation’s attack on Ukraine.
The game will be played at Stade de France in St. Denis.
“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,” UEFA said in a Friday statement.
“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 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 statement said.
On Thursday, UEFA released a statement saying it “strongly condemns the ongoing Russian military invasion in Ukraine.
“We remain resolute in our solidarity with the football community in Ukraine and stand ready to extend our hand to the Ukrainian people,” the statement read in part.
Aside the Champions League final, other sporting activities billed to hold in Russia and Ukraine are also almost certainly going to be postponed, moved to other venues or cancelled altogether due to the tension between the two countries.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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