Panic As Champions League Final Venue in Doubt As UEFA Considers Wembley As Late Replacement

Panic As Champions League Final Venue in Doubt As UEFA Considers Wembley As Late Replacement

Chukwu Ikechukwu
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:56 PM
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  • UEFA could move Champions League final from Russia to Wembley over Ukraine invasion as political tension between the two Eastern European nations hots up
  • The Russian city of St. Petersburg is set to host the final of this year’s biggest European club competition after being awarded the hosting rights.
  • Wembley is now being considered by UEFA to host the final especially if the two finalists for this year’s competition come from the Premier League

Russia could lose the opportunity to host the Champions League final as UEFA is considering changing the location of this year’s final due to political tensions.

The European Football governing body is closely monitoring the Ukrainian crisis, with a view to drawing up a contingency plan if needed.

Panic As Champions League Final Venue in Doubt As UEFA Considers Wembley As Late Replacement
Wembley Stadium is being considered as a possible alternative to host the UEFA Champions League final, especially if two English teams have reached the final. Photo by Matt Cardy
Source: Getty Images

Russian President, Vladimir Putin had threatened to invade neighboring Ukraine which has sparked talks of a possible World War if that should occur.

According to a report via Daily Star, UEFA could now be forced to move club football’s biggest game from the city of St. Petersburg.

The Champions League final is due to take place on May 29, with the hosting city set to gain approximately £60m for just hosting the final.

Wembley considered as St. Petersburg replacement for UCL Final

Meanwhile, Wembley Stadium in England is being considered as the perfect replacement for the Champions League final should the initial venue be changed from St. Petersburg.

The Mirror reports, several major European airlines have announced they are either suspending or scaling back flights to both Ukraine and Russia amid increasing security concerns.

This has caused concerns for UEFA as fans will be able to attend the Champions League final should the tension between Russia and Ukraine continues.

Last season final was switched from Istanbul to Porto just three weeks before kick-off, after the Turkish city was placed on the Covid-19 red list, meaning supporters were unable to travel.

Atletico Madrid Likely to Miss Seven Key Players

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Diego Simeone is facing a major crisis as his Atletico Madrid side prepare to take on Manchester United in the Champions League.

United are scheduled to travel to Spain for the first leg of the round of 16 fixture slated for Wednesday, February 23.

Simeone is likely to miss as many as seven key players for the encounter, including skipper Koke.

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Chukwu Ikechukwu
Chukwu Ikechukwu Godwin is a journalist with over 9 years of experience in the Nigerian media industry. He has worked both in Radio (Today FM, Rhythm FM, Wish FM) and Television (Silverbird TV) as a Sports Analyst..
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