The uncertain geopolitical situation created by Russia’s intervention in Ukraine has raised questions about whether the Champions League final, the showpiece of European soccer, will be held as planned in St. Petersburg this spring.
Officials at the Union of European Football Associations, which sponsors the Champions League, reportedly have been discussing whether holding the May 28 game in the Russian city’s Gazprom Arena is viable, and the British government led calls Tuesday for the event to be moved.
English clubs Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are in the final 16 of the competition, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the situation Tuesday as he spoke in the House of Commons to announce sanctions against five Russian banks and three Russian billionaires after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into two regions in eastern Ukraine.