London: Russia was stripped of hosting the Champions League final by UEFA today with St. Petersburg replaced by Paris after Russia attacked Ukraine.
The men’s final will still be held on May 28 but now at the 81,300-seat Stade de France after the decision by UEFA’s executive committee.
“UEFA wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to French Republic President Emmanuel Macron for his personal support and commitment to have European club football’s most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis,” European football’s governing body said in a statement.
Neutral venues
Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams in UEFA competitions will have to play at neutral venues until further notice. The Stade de France last hosted the Champions League final 16 years ago, when Barcelona beat Arsenal in the 2006 final.
The 68,000-capacity St. Petersburg stadium was originally picked in 2019 to host the final in 2021. That was postponed by one year in the fallout of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The stadium is named for Russian state-owned energy firm Gazprom, which is also a top-tier UEFA sponsor of the Champions League and European Championship.
