Nyon, 25 February 2022 (TDI): In response to Russia’s aggression on Ukraine, UEFA declared on Friday that the Champions League final would be moved out of the country.
For the first time since 2006, the final, which will take place on May 28, will be held at the Stade de France in Paris. On Thursday, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to formalize the swap.
Following the catastrophic deterioration of the security situation in Europe, the UEFA Executive Committee convened an extraordinary meeting today.
The Union of European Football Associations Executive Committee is obvious to move the final of the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League from “Saint Petersburg” to Stade de France in “Saint-Denis”. The game will be played as originally scheduled on Saturday 28 May.
UEFA wishes to express its gratitude to “President Emmanuel Macron” of the French Republic for his personal support and assurance in having European club football’s most important game relocated to France in the midst of unprecedented difficulty.
UEFA will completely support multi-stakeholder initiatives to assure the provision of rescue for football players and their families in Ukraine who are facing extreme human suffering, devastation, and displacement, in partnership with the French government.
The Union of European Football Associations Executive Committee agreed today that until further notice, Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams competing in UEFA competitions must play their home matches at neutral venues.
The UEFA Executive Committee also resolved to stay on standby to hold additional extraordinary meetings, as needed, on a regular ongoing basis to examine the legal and factual position and make future decisions.
The UEFA decision comes as the worldwide sporting community considers upcoming events in Russia. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour confirmed that the Moscow CH 80 tournament, which was set to take place at the end of February, has been postponed. Given that the Russian Grand Prix is scheduled for late September, Formula One is “closely observing the very fluid developments.”
