MOSCOW, February 25 The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has decided to reschedule the final of the Champions League from St. Petersburg to Paris, according to the website of the organization.
"Together with the government of France, UEFA will support the efforts of all stakeholders to rescue football players and their families who are in Ukraine and are facing terrible suffering and destruction& #34;,” the organization said in a statement.
Initially, St. Petersburg was supposed to host the final in the 2020/2021 season, but the dates were changed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now the decisive match will be held on May 28 at the stadium «Stade de France» in Saint-Denis. In addition, UEFA will transfer all matches of European competitions from the territories of Russia and Ukraine «until further notice». It is expected that the only remaining member of the current draw from these countries — Moscow «Spartak» — will play the home match of the Europa League on a neutral field. Also in June, the UEFA Nations League will begin, and in March, both teams expect play-offs for the right to participate in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The decision on the venue will be made by FIFA. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that in response to the appeal of the leaders of the Donbass republics, he decided to conduct a special military operation. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow's plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories. The Ministry of Defense reported that the Russian military does not strike at the cities of Ukraine, military infrastructure is disabled by high-precision means. The civilian population is not in danger, the department assured.