Report: UEFA likely to move UCL final from St. Petersburg amid Ukraine crisis

Plans to stage the Champions League final in Russia are now in jeopardy.

UEFA is understood to be exploring the possibility of moving this season’s final away from St. Petersburg over concerns related to the escalating political tensions between Russia and Ukraine, according to ESPN’s Mark Ogden.

The European governing body is monitoring the situation and may opt to move the showpiece event for the third year in a row if the situation deteriorates in the weeks and months leading up to the match on May 28.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken out against the Champions League final being staged in St. Petersburg, telling reporters there was “no chance of holding football tournaments in a Russia that invades sovereign countries,” according to BBC News.

Putin’s tactics have resulted in several nations introducing strict sanctions they are prepared to impose against Russia.

St. Petersburg was initially scheduled to host the Champions League final in 2021 before the contest was moved to Portugal due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 final was set to be staged in Istanbul, Turkey, but was moved to Portugal as well because of the pandemic.

Wembley Stadium in London is unlikely to be chosen as an alternative venue, sources told Ogden, considering that the League Two and Championship playoffs finals are scheduled to be played there on the same weekend as the Champions League final. Wembley will host the 2024 final.

Other cites in London, including Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and West Ham’s London Stadium, could be considered.

Stadiums in Rome, Munich, Paris, Amsterdam, and Barcelona would all be in the running as well should the match be moved from Russia, Ogden added.