Russian Invasion Puts Location Of Champions League Final In Jeopardy

On May 28, the 2022 Champions League final was set to be held in Saint Petersburg (Russia). But Russia’s increased bellicosity may force the game to move.

After Russia sent troops into eastern Ukraine, UEFA is already considering other hosting options for the tournament’s title game. The move comes shortly after the UK government and the European Union have stated their readiness to impose sanctions on Russia after Russian President Valdimir Putin’s declaration that Ukrainian regions Donetsk and Luhansk are independent.

Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, said something that most people don’t think: A country openly engaged in war shouldn’t host a major sporting event.

“I think it is inconceivable that major international football tournaments can take place in Russia after … the invasion of a sovereign country,” Johnson said.

Moreover, international sports events of any significance should be avoided in countries that are openly hostile to Western culture.

Russia is a nation of brutality with international ambitions. Hosting major events would be a wasteful way to boost its public image and generate revenue.

This would not be the first time in recent memory that the location for European soccer’s most prestigious tournament would be changed. Saint Petersburg had originally been scheduled to host the 2021 Final, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the tournament to move to Porto in Portugal. 

UEFA is likely to change the venue for the title match regardless of what happens in the Ukraine conflict. It would take more nerve than the President Biden did when he could have boycotted the 2022 Winter Olympics but decided not.