UEFA will no longer stage this season’s Champions League final in St. Petersburg after Russia attacked Ukraine, The Associated Press has learned.
An extraordinary meeting of the UEFA executive committee will be held on Friday to discuss the geopolitical crisis and when officials are set to confirm taking the May 28 showpiece game out of Russia, a person with knowledge of the process said on Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks.
UEFA confirmed there is a meeting due at 0900 GMT on Friday.
“Following the evolution of the situation between Russia and Ukraine in the last 24 hours, the UEFA president has decided to call an extraordinary meeting of the executive committee …. in order to evaluate the situation and take all necessary decisions,” UEFA said in a statement.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 24: Members of the Manchester Ukrainian community console each other as they wait for news of relatives in Ukraine at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church where the congregation prayed for, and showed their support for, relatives and the people of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
The British government and fan groups had been asking UEFA to no longer play the game in the St. Petersburg, where the stadium is sponsored by Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom.
“On this tragic day, our thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine, our friends, colleagues, members, & their loved ones,” the Fans Supporters Europe group tweeted Thursday. “Given the events unfolding, we expect an imminent announcement from UEFA on the relocation of the Champions League final.”
KYIV, UKRAINE – FEBRUARY 24: Local residents follow the news on their mobile devices in a bomb shelter on February 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Overnight, Russia began a large-scale attack on Ukraine, with explosions reported in multiple cities and far outside the restive eastern regions held by Russian-backed rebels. (Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
The Ukrainian Premier League suspended operations on Thursday due to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to impose martial law. The league has been on a two-month winter break and was due to resume on Friday. It did not give any planned date to restart.
The International Paralympic Committee said it was in talks with sports officials in Ukraine and Russia as their teams prepare to head to China for the start of the Paralympic Games next week.
“The IPC is in dialogue with both the Ukrainian and Russian Paralympic Committees ahead of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games,” the IPC said in an emailed statement. “As a politically neutral organization, the IPC’s focus remains on the upcoming Games rather than the ongoing situation.”
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.