UEFA on Friday moved the Champions League final from St. Petersburg to Paris in the wake of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, Anadolu Agency reports.
“The UEFA Executive Committee decided to relocate the final of the 2021/22 UEFA Men’s Champions League from Saint Petersburg to Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The game will be played as initially scheduled on Saturday 28 May at 21:00 CET,” the European football’s governing body said in a statement.
This year’s final was due to take place at the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg before relocation.
The UEFA Executive Committee also ruled that both Russian and Ukrainian clubs and their national teams each in the UEFA competitions will play their home games in neutral stadiums.
It also thanked French President Emmanuel Macron “for his personal support and commitment” to host the 2022 final.
France’s national stadium Stade de France, located in the northern commune of Saint-Denis, has a capacity of some 80,000 spectators.
Built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the stadium hosted the 2000 and 2006 Champions League finals, and the UEFA EURO 2016.
Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency