The 2022 Champions League final will be played in Paris. UEFA decided it later the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The most awaited and important match of the year, scheduled for May 28, should have been played in St. Petersburg in a stadium built for the 2018 World Cup and financed by Gazprom, but today's political reality has pushed the governing body of European football to change the cards on the table.
The UEFA decision on the Champions League final
16 years after the last time, the 2022 Champions League final will take place at Stade de France, in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis.
The announcement came on the morning of February 25 after the many pressures exerted by international politics which also found support in many European football clubs. Playing the match in Russia, after what happened, was considered unthinkable.
UEFA has also decided to move all tournament matches which should have been played in Russia and Ukraine. For the moment, this choice only affects the match that Spartak Moscow, currently playing in the Europa League, should have played at home.
Here the note released today by UEFA on the Champions League final and the matches that should have been played in Russia and Ukraine:
“The UEFA Executive Committee held an extraordinary meeting today following the serious escalation of the security situation in Europe.
The UEFA Executive Committee has decided to move the 2021/22 UEFA Men's Champions League final from St Petersburg to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The match will be played as originally scheduled on Saturday 28 May at 21:00 CET.
UEFA wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron for his personal support and commitment to the transfer of the most prestigious match in European club football to France at a time of unprecedented crisis. Together with the French government, UEFA will fully support multi-stakeholder efforts to ensure relief for footballers and their families in Ukraine facing terrible human suffering, destruction and displacement.
At today's meeting, the UEFA Executive Committee also decided that Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams competing in UEFA competitions will have to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.
The UEFA Executive Committee has also decided to stand by convening further extraordinary meetings, on a regular basis where necessary, to re-evaluate the factual and legal situation as it evolves and take further decisions if necessary.
