Russia stripped from hosting Champions League final after invading Ukraine

Russia has been stripped of this season’s Champions League final following the country’s invasion of Ukraine with the match now set to be played in Paris. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin chaired an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee on Friday where it was decided to move the showpiece event away from Saint Petersburg following the military attack on Ukraine led by Russian president Vladimir Putin. The French capital last hosted the European Cup final in 2006, when Barcelona defeated Arsenal 2-1.UEFA said in a statement.

"The UEFA executive committee decided to relocate the final of the 2021-22 UEFA Men's Champions League from St Petersburg to Stade de France in St Denis. "The game will be played as initially scheduled on Saturday May 28 at 2100 CET. "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."UEFA also decided that it would relocate any games in tournaments it controls that were to be played in Russia and Ukraine, whether involving clubs or national teams, until further notice. At the moment, that affects only a single club match: Spartak Moscow’s next home game in the second-tier Europa League. UEFA had come under considerable pressure to move the final away from Saint Petersburg, with European lawmakers on Thursday asking the governing body to move the final and to stop considering Russian cities for international football events. The group of politicians also called on UEFA to sever ties with Russian state energy company Gazprom, which sponsors the Champions League.