Football: UEFA Champions League Final

By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw

Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, at an emergency meeting held on 25 February 2022, UEFA has decided to move the final of the Champions League, due to be held on 28  May 2022, from St Petersburg to Paris.

This will be the third time that UEFA has changed the venue of the Final at short notice – the previous two occasions due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

UEFA expressed its thanks to President 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.”

And UEFA added:                                           

“Together with the French government, UEFA will fully support multi-stakeholder efforts to ensure the provision of rescue for football players and their families in Ukraine who face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement.”

A Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, described the UEFA decision as a “shame” and added that:

“St Petersburg could have provided all favourable conditions to hold this festival of soccer.”

Nadine Dorries, UK Culture Secretary, welcomed the UEFA “decisive action” and added:

“Russia must not be allowed to exploit sporting and cultural events on the world stage to legitimise its unprovoked, premeditated and needless attack against a sovereign democratic state.”

UEFA has also ordered the Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams to play their home matches away from the region.

It appears that, generally speaking, the Russian people are against the invasion of Ukraine and, perhaps, being deprived of this and other sporting events that are being postponed or cancelled, together with the harsh economic sanctions, may help to call a halt to Putin’s unlawful adventure!

Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.’