The response of the European football body was quick: meeting urgently in the executive committee by videoconference in Nyon (Switzerland), UEFA took action on a decision expected since the launch of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, Thursday morning.

Scheduled in Saint Petersburg on May 28 (9 p.m.), the final of the biggest continental club competition will be played north of Paris, at the Stade de France, the same day, the European confederation announced in a press release, thanking the President Emmanuel Macron "for his personal support" in a period of "unprecedented crisis".

The Kremlin immediately reacted to this announcement, deeming it "a pity" that Russia was deprived of this event, assuring that "Saint Petersburg could have provided the ideal conditions for holding such a football festival".

The country's second city had already hosted Euro matches last summer.

Spartak Moscow deprived of home game

The Stade de France, located in Saint-Denis, hosted this prestigious poster in 2006, then won by FC Barcelona against Arsenal, as well as in 2000, an edition which crowned Real Madrid.

This will be the 6th C1 final played in France.

General view of the Stade de France before the start of the Champions League final between Barcelona and Arsenal on May 17, 2006 in Saint-Denis GABRIEL BOUYS AFP/Archives

UEFA, which had "firmly condemned the Russian military invasion" on Thursday, also decided that international home matches of clubs or selections from Ukraine and Russia will be organized on neutral ground "until further notice. ", in the face of "the worsening security situation in Europe".

Thus, Spartak Moscow, engaged in the round of 16 of the Europa League - the second European competition - and the only Russian or Ukrainian team still in contention in the European Cup, will not be able to host its matches in Russia in the event. .

The joy of Spartak Moscow's Swedish striker, Jordan Larsson, after scoring the 2nd goal against Leicester, during their Europa League match, on October 20, 2021 in Moscow NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA AFP / Archives

Another meeting affected by this measure, the qualifying match of Euro-Espoirs, Ukraine-France, scheduled for Tuesday March 29, which will have to be relocated to neutral ground.

UEFA will "fully support the efforts of the many stakeholders to bring relief to footballers and their families in Ukraine".

Brazilian players from Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev called for help on social media on Thursday.

What about the Gazprom partner?

On the other hand, UEFA's decisions do not concern the dam for the World Cup-2022 between Russia and Poland scheduled for March 24 in Moscow, which depends on Fifa.

The Polish federation, together with those of Sweden and the Czech Republic who may also have to face the Russians on March 29, have already warned that they do not wish to travel to Russia.

But Fifa has not yet taken the slightest measure, contenting itself on Thursday with saying that it is "concerned" about a "tragic and worrying" situation, according to its president Gianni Infantino.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino during a Council meeting on October 20, 2021 at the organization's headquarters in Lausanne Harold Cunningham FIFA / AFP / Archives

UEFA, one of the major sponsors of which is the giant Gazprom, did not mention anything about the agreement with the Russian group, reputed to be close to the Kremlin.

The German club Schalke (D2), also linked to Gazprom, had decided on Thursday to remove the name of its main sponsor from its shirts.

Schalke players warming up on May 15, 2021 before a Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt in Gelsenkirchen LEON KUEGELER POOL/AFP/Archives

These announcements come at the heart of a great mobilization of the world sports movement in the face of the deterioration of the situation in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian international striker of Atalanta Bergamo Ruslan Malinovskyi had thus sported, after a goal, a t-shirt bearing the message in English: "No war in Ukraine".

Atalanta Bergamo's Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi wears a T-shirt with the message 'No war in Ukraine' after his goal against Olympiakos in the Europa League second leg match, February 24, 2022 in Piraeus Panayotis TZAMAROS In Time Sports / AFP

Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev, who will become world No.1 on Monday, felt that "tennis is sometimes not so important" given the situation, acknowledging that he "woke up with a lot of emotions".

The president of French basketball club Villeurbanne Tony Parker also announced that his club would not travel to Russia to face Zenit Saint Petersburg on March 1 and Unics Kazan on March 3.

And the international ski federation canceled, on Friday, all the competitions planned in Russia by the end of winter.

© 2022 AFP