World withdrawing from Russia
Loses Champions League final to Paris; Sochi GP axed by Formula One
LONDON — 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 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 a European neighbour.
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.
Auto racing has continued in Russia after not being bound by the WADA ruling, banning Russia hosting international sports events through December.
A Formla 1 race is due there in 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. Stade de France last hosted the Champions League final 16 years ago, when Barcelona beat Arsenal in the 2006 final.
UEFA has two weeks before the next set of Champions League games to resolve the issue of Gazprom adverts flashing around stadium pitches. Reinforcing the company’s close links to UEFA, Dyukov is a CEO of a Gazprom subsidiary as well as sitting on European football’s top decision-making body.
Gazprom’s logo has already been removed this week from the jerseys of German club Schalke but it remains a sponsor.
Away from soccer, the International Ski Federation announced Russia will not host any more of its World Cup events this winter. The decision came after a farcical attempt to hold ski cross races on Friday in the Urals resort of Sunny Valley one day after Russia started an invasion of Ukraine.
Only a handful of Russians started and dozens of racers from all other countries did not take part. FIS cited “the safety of all participants and to maintain the integrity of the World Cup” for calling off five scheduled events in the next month. Replacement venues are being sought.
The European curling championships scheduled to be held in November in Perm, Russia, will also be relocated, the sport’s international governing body announced on Friday after an emergency meeting of its board.
The International Tennis Federation also canceled all events taking place in Russia indefinitely.
The Dubai Championships on Friday saw Russian player Andrey Rublev write “No War Please” on a TV camera moments after winning a match.
Compatriot Daniil Medvedev spoke Thursday at the Mexico Open about waking up to news that his country had invaded Ukraine.
“Watching the news from home, waking up here in Mexico, was not easy,” said Medvedev, who will become the No. 1 men’s player when rankings are announced next week.
“By being a tennis player, I want to promote peace all over the world,” Medvedev continued. “We play in so many different countries. It’s just not easy to hear all this news. I’m all for peace.”