The Champions League final has been moved to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on May 28, UEFA announced on Friday, which withdrew its organization in Saint Petersburg, in reaction to the start of the invasion of the Ukraine by the Russian army. The enclosure located north of Paris hosted in 2006 this prestigious poster, then won by FC Barcelona against Arsenal, as well as in 2000, the year of the coronation of Real Madrid at the expense of Valencia.
The sixth C1 final in France
This is the sixth time for France, the Parc des Princes in Paris having already hosted the final three times (1956, 1975, 1981). “UEFA would like to thank the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron for his personal support, and his commitment to move the most prestigious match in European club football to France, during a period of unprecedented crisis”, reacted the body based in Nyon.
UEFA decided on Thursday to urgently convene its executive committee, following Moscow’s attack on several Ukrainian regions, which shook the entire planet. Quickly, voices rose to demand the relocation of the C1 final, scheduled for Saint Petersburg, whose stadium bears the name of Gazprom, the gas giant close to power and one of the main sponsors of UEFA. .
Moscow considers it “a pity” to move the final
“I don’t see how, in all good faith, this can be played out (in Russia),” reacted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. UEFA has “strongly condemned the Russian military invasion” of Ukraine. Another decision taken by the executive committee, the organization on neutral ground of international home matches of Ukrainian and Russian clubs or selections, “until further notice”. This concerns in particular Spartak Moscow, competing in the Europa League, or the match of the French Espoirs in Ukraine on March 29, but not the play-off for the World Cup-2022 between Russia and Poland scheduled for March 24 in Moscow, which depends on FIFA.
Moments after this announcement, the Kremlin deemed it “a pity” that Saint Petersburg was deprived of the Champions League final. “It’s a pity that such a decision was taken,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “St. Petersburg could have provided the ideal conditions for holding such a football festival,” he added.