Boris Johnson urges Russia not to host the Champions League final

Amid tensions between Russia and Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday (22) that the Champions League final should not take place in St Petersburg. The final match of the tournament is scheduled to take place on May 28 at Gazprom Arena.

“Russia is more isolated, Russia is pariah. [Não há] Opportunity to set up football tournaments in Russia conquering sovereign nations,” Johnson addressed the House of Commons.

Culture Minister Nadine Doris also said on Twitter that Russia should not be allowed to host major sporting events after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of troops to the rebel areas of Donetsk and Luhansk and recognized them as independent countries.

“I have serious concerns about sporting events that will take place in Russia, such as the Champions League final, and will discuss them with the relevant regulatory bodies. We will not allow President Putin to take advantage of events on the world stage to legitimize his illegal invasion of Ukraine.”

This would not be the first time that UEFA has changed the venue of the Champions League final in such a short time. The last two editions of the final were moved to Portugal due to complications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

UEFA said it was “constantly and closely monitoring the situation”. “There are currently no plans to change the stadium. UEFA is in close contact with the relevant national federations and clubs. At the moment, all matches are scheduled to take place as scheduled,” the organization said in a statement.

And according to the English newspaper The Mirror, it appears that Wembley Stadium, in England, could host this year’s decision, even if the match is played by two English teams.

The situation in Ukraine worsened on Monday (21) when Putin admitted Donetsk and Luhansk, Two rebel-held regions in the east of the country as independent states.