UEFA are planning to host an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the plans for the Champions League Final amid ever-growing concerns regarding the Russia and Ukraine situation.
With tensions growing as the situation continues to unfold in eastern Europe, the sporting world is having to adapt to events that are scheduled to take place in Vladimir Putin’s country.
The football isn’t the only sport to have been affected by this like scenario, with Formula1 also affected by the conflict due to the Russian Grand Prix being scheduled to go ahead as planned on September 23 currently amid boycott calls.
The Champions League final is currently scheduled to take place currently in Saint Petersburg, to the dismay of Foreign Secretary Liz Truss who has encouraged fans and players of any English teams who reach the final to ‘boycott’ the event.
All of Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool and Man United still have a chance of reaching the showpiece event at the end of May after all of the quartet were undefeated after their respective first Round of 16 legs.
Two of the last five Champions League finals have been contested by all English sides and the increasing quality of the Premier League means that the possibility of seeing another English team in the final is highly possible.
football.london understands that regarding the potential venue switch ahead of May’s showpiece, the final itself is set to be moved but no fixed alternative has been decided yet with Wembley unlikely.
A final decision will be made at least four weeks until the event itself comes around in the calendar, with the London Stadium a new contender for a venue switch in England, as per the Telegraph.
It’s not just the Champions League final that will be of importance in this latest UEFA conference. The international scene for the two countries embroiled in this conflict could be affected as a result of this situation.
It is understood that locations of various Russia and Ukraine international football games will be on the agenda ahead of future international breaks that will be on the horizon very soon.
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If nothing is to be changed on the international front, potential play off games for the World Cup in Russia could take place which would come as a shock to many, including the chairman of the Swedish FA.
“The feelings we have as we wake up this morning are that it is almost unthinkable that we in a few weeks would play a football match in Russia,” Karl-Erik Nilsson told Reuters via the Guardian.
“As it looks here and now, today, there is absolutely no desire to play a football match in Russia.”