The Russia-Ukraine crisis is also affecting football. There will be no Champions League final in St. Petersburg!

The current very tense situation on the Ukrainian-Russian border is slowly starting to manifest itself in the football world. It is almost certain that UEFA will take the hosting of the final Champions League match away from Russia’s St. Petersburg.

The situation is becoming increasingly tense, with Russia sending troops to the Ukrainian-Russian border on the territory of the self-proclaimed republics around the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Politics does not belong in sport, yet the big topic has become the upcoming Champions League final, which is being held in Russia, specifically in St Petersburg. Politicians all over the world are calling for the hosting of the biggest football festival in Europe to be withdrawn.

And how does UEFA feel about the whole issue? Close sources say it is almost decided that the final will not be held in St Petersburg. UEFA continues to monitor the whole situation, but political pressures are still mounting.

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there was “ no chance of Russia, a country that invades sovereign states, hosting football events.”

As a result, the match to be played on Saturday, May 28, will most likely be moved elsewhere, but it is not clear where. The previous two final encounters were held in Portugal because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

St. Petersburg Stadium hosted the EURA 2020 matches, Zenit St. Petersburg, which plays its home games at this stadium, is still struggling in the Europa League. The question is what will happen in the coming days and which city will eventually host this year’s Champions League final.

Source: BBC