UEFA has confirmed that the 2022 Champions League final will take place at the Stade de France in Paris, moving it from Saint Petersburg in response to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. The date remains the same as before, May 28.
UEFA have also confirmed that no European football matches will take place in Russia or Ukraine until further notice, which affects Spartak Moscow’s Europa League tie against RB Leipzig, as well as a few Nations League matches for the (for now still) two nations.
UEFA have not (yet?) severed ties with Gazprom however, who remain a major sponsor.
The 2021/22 #UCLfinal will move from Saint Petersburg to Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
The game will be played as initially scheduled on Saturday 28 May at 21:00 CET.
Full statement ⬇️
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 25, 2022
The Stade de France last hosted a Champions League final in 2006, when Barcelona triumphed, 2-1 over Arsenal. Barca had eliminated Chelsea in the Round of 16 that year, thanks in great part to an 18-year-old Lionel Messi embellishing a tackle to win a red card against Asier Del Horno in the first leg. (Then again, if we had VAR, Del Horno might have been sent off earlier in that game anyway for a studs first challenge on Messi’s thigh and knee, but I digress.)
So, if we are to defend our European crown, we would have to do it back in Paris, which would probably be extra, extra sweet for Tuchel and Silva. But that’s not something we can think about until then.
“At the moment, we don’t think so much about it [the Champions League final]. There are things more important the focus from us, in general, sporting and globally speaking is not on the [Champions League] final.”
-Thomas Tuchel; source: Football.London
And speaking of global events, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s daughter Sofia, who lives in London, made a post on her Instagram story in opposition to Vladimir Putin’s war, which might not make a difference to any sanctions that may or may not be coming against her father, but is still nice to see.
Sofia Abramovich (Roman’s daughter) on Instagram this morning. pic.twitter.com/JLjW1pTjJh
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) February 25, 2022
