FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – Europa League – Round of 16 draw – Nyon, Switzerland – February 28, 2020 General view of the UEFA logo at UEFA Headquarters before the draw REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
February 24, 2022
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A group of European lawmakers on Thursday asked European soccer’s governing body UEFA to change venue for the Champions League final, which is scheduled to take place in St Petersburg in May, and to stop considering Russian cities for international football competitions, they said in a letter.
The lawmakers also asked that UEFA ends Gazprom’s sponsorship of the competition.
“We call on you to stop considering St. Petersburg and other Russian cities as venues for international football competitions and to choose as a first and very urgent step an alternative venue for the Champions League final on May 28, 2022,” the letter said.
“In addition, we appeal to you to convene a special meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee, to terminate cooperation with Gazprom as UEFA sponsor and to consider sanctions against individual Russian officials who are complicit in the violation of international law.”
(Reporting by Marine Strauss @StraussMarine, Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)
