UEFA moves Champions League Final from St Petersburg as sporting world reacts to
The 2022 final was scheduled to be held at Krestovsky Stadium, which is sponsored by Russian state-owned company Gazprom, but will now be moved to the Stade de France in Paris to be played on the original date of May 28.
“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,” a statement from UEFA said on Friday.
“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.”
UEFA added that Russian and Ukrainian clubs still competing in UEFA competitions — the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League — will have to play home matches at neutral venues “until further notice”.
On Thursday, UEFA released a statement saying it “strongly condemns” Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine: “UEFA shares the international community’s significant concern for the security situation developing in Europe and strongly condemns the ongoing Russian military invasion in Ukraine.
“As the governing body of European football, UEFA is working tirelessly to develop and promote football according to common European values such as peace and respect for human rights, in the spirit of the Olympic Charter.
“We remain resolute in our solidarity with the football community in Ukraine and stand ready to extend our hand to the Ukrainian people.”
Wider football world reacts
Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi scored twice for Atalanta in the Europa League on Thursday night, revealing a “No War in Ukraine” shirt under his jersey in celebration of his first goal.
Playing in Greece against Olympiacos hours after his country had been invaded by Russia, Malinovskyi scored the first of two stunning strikes midway through the second half of the knockout stage second leg.
The 28-year-old proceeded to lift his jersey to reveal an undershirt with the anti-war message written on, before adding a second goal mere minutes later with a staggering strike from outside the box.
His brace helped secure a 3-0 victory on the night and a 5-1 aggregate win for the Italian side, who now move into the last 16 of the competition.
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said that on the morning of the game he had asked Malinovskyi — who has parents and family in Ukraine — if he had felt ready to play the match.
“We are living in a special moment and for him it is even more so,” Gasperini told Sky Italia.
“This morning, I asked him if he felt like playing because he still has parents and family in Ukraine. I’m happy for this brace.
“Sometimes, football doesn’t solve problems, however, a small contribution can be made to make everyone feel closer: we hope that this thing can be resolved.”
Barcelona and Napoli players joined to display a ‘Stop War’ banner before their Europa League second-leg knockout match in Naples.
Moments before kick-off, the starting players of both teams assembled to hold up a white banner with the message capitalized in red.
Meanwhile, German football club FC Schalke 04 says it will remove the Gazprom logo from their jerseys and replace it with the name of the team.
But the club hasn’t revealed whether it is reviewing ties with the state-owned Russian gas giant, which has sponsored the team since 2007.
A seven-time winner of the German first division, Schalke are playing in the second tier this year following relegation from the Bundesliga last season.
Ukrainian footballer Oleksandr Zinchenko, who plays for English Premier League leader Manchester City, took to Instagram on Tuesday to voice his support for Ukrainians amid escalating tensions with Russia.
“The whole civilized world is worried about the situation in my country,” Zinchenko, who has 48 caps for the Ukraine national team, wrote.
“I can’t stand back and [not] put across my point. The country in which I was born and raised. A country whose colors I defend in the international sports arena. A country that we are trying to glorify and develop. A country whose borders must remain intact.
“My country belongs to Ukrainians and no one will ever be able to appropriate it. We will not give up! Glory to Ukraine.”
Ukrainian football icon and the national team’s former manager Andriy Shevchenko is pleading for the world to help his homeland.
“My people and my family are under attack,” Shevchenko said in an Instagram post.
The ex-footballer said Ukraine and its people “want peace and territorial integrity. Please I ask you to support our country and call the Russian government to stop their aggression and violation of international law.
“We only want peace. War is not the answer,” Shevchenko added.
Meanwhile, Fyodor Smolov became one of the first Russian footballers to speak out against his country’s invasion of Ukraine on…
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