This image, from 2016, shows the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France.
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UEFA has moved the Champions League final on May 28 from St Petersburg to Paris, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The UEFA Executive Committee held an emergency meeting on Friday and decided to move the show to the Stade de France from the 68,000-capacity Gazprom Arena in Vladimir Putin’s home city.
A UEFA statement said: “The UEFA Executive Committee held an extraordinary meeting today following the serious escalation of the security situation in Europe.
“The UEFA Executive Committee has decided to move the UEFA Men’s Champions League Final 2021/22 from Saint Petersburg to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The match will be played as originally scheduled on Saturday the 28th. May at 9pm CET.
“UEFA would like to express its thanks and appreciation to the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron for his personal support and commitment so that Europe’s most prestigious match in European football is moved to France during this critical time. unprecedented panic.
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“Together with the French government, UEFA will fully support the multi-stakeholder efforts to ensure the provision of rescue for footballers and their families in Ukraine, who are facing pain and suffering. suffering, destruction and displacement of people.”
The Executive Committee also decided that Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams competing in UEFA competitions would have to play their home matches at neutral venues until new announcement.
This could affect Spartak Moscow in the Europa League as well as Russia and Ukraine in the Nations League 2022-23 which will get underway in June.
FIFA has yet to make a decision on what to do with next month’s World Cup play-offs.
Russia takes on Poland in the play-off semi-final on March 24 and will then face the semi-final winners Sweden vs Czech Republic in Russia for a spot in Qatar.
The federations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic issued a statement on Thursday stressing that matches should not be played on Russian territory and demanding that “alternative solutions” be found.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday his organization would look at the matter with “urgency” but said he hoped the situation would be resolved next month.
Ukraine will face Scotland at Hampden Park in the play-off semi-finals on March 24, but that match is also in doubt by the Ukrainian league suspended following the invasion.
