UEFA Champions League final moves from Russia to Paris
Russia has been stripped of the upcoming 2022 Champions League final.
Paris is replacing St. Petersburg as host following Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, the UEFA announced Friday. This news comes on the heels of Formula 1 canceling this season’s Russian Grand Prix in Sochi.
The final will still be held on May 28, but will take place at the 80,000-seat Stade de France, which last hosted the Champions League final in 2006 when Barcelona beat Arsenal.
It was 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 "following the grave escalation of the security situation in Europe."
The decision will impact Spartak Moscow, who are scheduled to take on LB Leipzig as part of next month's Europa League round of 16.
The president of Russia's football federation, Alexander Dyukov, said in a statement: "We believe that the decision to move the venue of the Champions League final was dictated by political reasons. The R.F.U. has always adhered to the principle of 'sport is out of politics,' and thus cannot support this decision."
The UEFA Executive Committee's decision to relocate the final comes after the International Olympic Committee recently condemned Russia for breaching the Olympic Truce, days after the end of the Beijing Winter Games and ahead of the 2022 Winter Paralympics.
The Olympic Truce, which was established to allow safe participation from both athletes and spectators in an Olympic Games and to ensure that Olympic hosts are not attacked, started seven days before the 2022 Winter Olympics and runs until seven days after the conclusion of the Paralympics on March 20.
Russia’s name, flag and anthem are already barred from the March 4-13 Paralympics in Beijing over previous doping disputes. Its team is due to compete as RPC, short for Russian Paralympic Committee, per the AP.
Now the IOC is asking events not subject to the WADA doping sanctions to no longer display the Russian or Belarusian national flags or play their anthems.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
