UEFA preparing to move Champions League final away from St Petersburg

Staff Writer24 February 2022

UEFA club finals director Tiziano Gaier, St Petersburg Vice Governor Boris Piotrovsky, and Alexei Sorokin, chief executive of the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final local organizing committee,

UEFA are drawing up contingency plans over the hosting venue for this season’s Champions League final, according to the PA news agency.

As things stand, the final of Europe's biggest football competition is set to be staged at the 68,000-capacity Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg.

However, due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, UEFA is monitoring the situation and could strip the city of the final which is set to take place on May 28.

After changing the venue for the final for the 2020 and 2021 editions due to the coronavirus pandemic, European football's governing body could be forced into a further switch but may wait until the latter stages of the competition to see which sides remain in the tournament.

If another all-English final was to occur, like last year's between Chelsea and Manchester City, there would be pressure to host it in the UK but two major stadiums are already out of bounds.

Wembley is set to host the Sky Bet Championship play-off final on May 28 while the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is primed to host rugby league's Betfred Challenge Cup Final on the same day.

It may open the door to another venue in England's capital, West Ham's London Stadium, which would have space in its summer schedule.

London Stadium chief executive Graham Gilmore told The Daily Telegraph: "We have a great history of putting on world-class events from Major League Baseball to sold-out concerts and of course Premier League matches.

"We are always happy to hear from event holders, and there is a clear track record of the stadium and London hosting the biggest events brilliantly."

Holders Chelsea, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are all in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier this week told the House of Commons: "A Russia that has pariah status - no chance of holding football tournaments in a Russia that invades sovereign countries."

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