The British government appealed to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on Tuesday to withdraw the Champions League final from Russia to sanction its foray into Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has raised concerns about European soccer’s showpiece match scheduled for St Petersburg on May 28 as he urged Russian President Vladimir Putin not to go forward with a full invasion of Ukraine. Russia caused an outcry when it announced on Monday its recognition of the independence of the eastern regions of Ukraine.
“It is absolutely vital at this critical time that President Putin understands that what he is doing is going to be a disaster for Russia,” Johnson told the House of Commons.Have
“He will end up with […] a more isolated Russia, a Russia that has pariah status, no chance of organizing football tournaments in a Russia that invades sovereign countries. »
UEFA has made no further statement since expressing concerns on Monday. She revealed over the weekend that she was “constantly and closely monitoring the situation” and had no plans to change the venue for the final. But a person familiar with the situation said the Ukraine crisis was addressed by UEFA leaders, including its president, Aleksander Ceferin.
UEFA have had to move the Champions League final for the past two seasons, both times from Turkey to Portugal due to the pandemic. A full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine would significantly change UEFA’s opinion that the final could still be played in Saint Petersburg.
With four representatives in the round of 16, England have the most teams still in contention in the Champions League. Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Commons, has called on UEFA to withdraw the final from Russia. “It’s a shameful decision,” tweeted Tugendhat. UEFA should not cover up a violent dictatorship. »
UEFA has separated Ukrainian and Russian teams in draws to prevent them from playing each other since Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and backed separatist insurgents in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian gas company, Gazprom, has acted as a sponsor of the Champions League since 2012 – the same year Ukraine co-hosted the European Championship with Russia. But the company’s logos were removed from a UEFA ‘Champions Festival’ on Kyiv’s main street when the Ukrainian capital staged the 2018 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool.