Football: the Champions League final moved to the Stade de France
The French stadium.
REUTERS - PASCAL ROSSIGNOL
Text by: Farid Achache Follow
2 mins
The Champions League final has been moved to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on May 28, announced this Friday, February 25, UEFA, which withdrew its organization in Saint Petersburg, in reaction to the start of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army.
Advertising
Read more
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. .
"
I don't see how, in all good faith, this can be played out (
in Russia)," reacted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
UEFA, which "
firmly condemned the Russian military invasion
" in Ukraine, thanked the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron "
for his personal support and his commitment to moving the most prestigious match in European club football to France, during a period of unprecedented crisis
”.
Sixth final in France
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.
This is the sixth time for France, the Parc des Princes in Paris having already hosted the final three times (1956, 1975, 1981).
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.
The Kremlin quickly commented on this decision.
"
It's a pity that such a decision was taken
," said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
"
St. Petersburg could have provided the ideal conditions for holding such a football festival
," he added.
(
with AFP
)
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_EN
UEFA Champions League
Soccer
France
Ukraine
Russia