Russia loses Champions League final to Paris; Sochi F1 axed
LONDON (AP) — The invasion of Ukraine drew punitive measures across the sporting world on Friday when Russia was stripped of the Champions League final, with UEFA replacing St. Petersburg with Paris as host, and Formula One dropping this season’s Russian Grand Prix in Sochi.
The International Olympic Committee also urged sports federations to move their events out of Russia or Belarus, which Moscow is using as a staging ground for its troops moving into Ukraine from the north.
A backlash against the embrace of Russian state-owned companies as sponsors in sports saw Manchester United drop Aeroflot’s commercial deal, with the Premier League club citing “events in
Ukraine” after the airline was banned in Britain as part of sanctions against President Vladimir Putin’s regime.
Although UEFA still has Gazprom as a Champions League sponsor, the final will no longer be staged at the St. Petersburg stadium named after the Russian state-owned energy firm. The climax to the European men’s football season will still be held on May 28 but now at the 80,000-seat Stade de France in the Saint-Denis suburb of the French capital after the decision by UEFA’s executive committee.
It followed discussions led by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin that involved the European Commission and French President Emmanuel Macron in recent days after concerns were raised about the status of Russia retaining such a prestigious event after its aggression toward another European country.
UEFA thanked Macron for his “personal support and commitment to have European club football’s most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis.”
Alexander Dyukov, a Russian member of the UEFA executive committee, complained the decision was taken for “political reasons.” Dyukov also opposed UEFA ordering Russian clubs and national teams to play at neutral venues until further notice — a ruling also imposed on Ukrainian sides.
The move comes as Russian bombs and troops pounded Ukraine during the invasion’s first full day, and world leaders on Friday began to fine-tune a response meant to punish the Russian economy and its leaders, including Putin’s inner circle.
The IOC had already condemned Russia for breaching the Olympic Truce, days after the end of the Beijing Winter Games and ahead of the Paralympics.
Russia’s name, flag and anthem are already barred from the March 4-13 Paralympics in Beijing over previous doping disputes. Its team is due to compete as RPC, short for Russian Paralympic Committee.
Now the IOC is asking events not subject to the WADA doping sanctions to no longer display the Russian or Belarussian national flags or play their anthems.
Motorsport has continued in Russia after not being bound by the WADA ruling, banning Russia hosting international sports events through December.
The F1 race wasn’t due until September in the Black Sea resort of Sochi but the motorsport series leadership decided it would be “impossible” to stage the Grand Prix after talks with teams and the FIA governing body. American team Haas also dropped the sponsorship of Russian company Uralkali during preseason testing in Barcelona. Nikita Mazepin of Haas is the only Russian driver on the F1 grid this season.
“We are watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation,” F1 said in a statement.
The French government will work with UEFA to help to rescue footballers and their families who “face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement,” European football’s governing body said in a statement.
There is the unresolved matter of Russia still being due to host Poland in World Cup qualifying playoff semifinals in Moscow. Poland wants the game taken out of Russia, but FIFA has yet to decide.
UEFA was more decisive on the Champions League final hosting, which was welcomed by the British government.
“Russia must not be allowed to exploit sporting and cultural events on the world stage to legitimize its unprovoked, premeditated and needless attack against a sovereign democratic state,” said British Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, who has the sports brief.
This is the third consecutive year that UEFA has had to change its Champions League final location after two switches due to coronavirus issues. The Stade de France last hosted the Champions League final 16 years ago, when Barcelona beat Arsenal in the 2006 final.