UEFA has moved the 2022 Champions League final from Saint Petersburg to Saint-Denis in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, European football's governing body said in a statement on Friday.
How did we get here?
UEFA had initially stated that there were "no plans to change the venue," but that it was "constantly and closely monitoring the situation" in Ukraine.
While Western governments called for the final to be moved, several members of the European Parliament also wrote to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin urging the European football governing body to "terminate cooperation" with Russian gas giant Gazprom.
After Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, pressure mounted on UEFA to act, which led to them calling an extraordinary meeting of its Executive Commitee on Friday morning.
What did they decide?
"The UEFA Executive Committee decided to relocate the final of the 2021/22 UEFA Men’s Champions League from Saint Petersburg to Stade de France in Saint-Denis," it said. "The game will be played as initially scheduled on Saturday 28 May at 21:00 CET."
The governing body thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for his help in having "European club football’s most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis."
With UEFA's competitions ongoing and member countries set to be in action during the international break at the end of March, the Executive Commitee also announced that "Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams competing in UEFA competitions will be required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice."
In response, the Kremlin said it was a pity Saint Petersburg was stripped of the right to host the final.
"It is a shame that such a decision was made," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Saint Petersburg could have provided the best possible conditions for holding this football event."
What is Gazprom's role in this crisis?
As the invasion involving two of UEFA's member countries intensifies, the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is being used to exert pressure in global politics.
More controversial than ever before, the roughly €9 billion ($10.2bn) pipeline, which is planned to deliver Russian gas across the Baltic Sea to Germany, is 100% owned by Russia state-owned gas giant Gazprom.
The Champions League final had been due to be held at the Gazprom Stadium in Saint Petersburg.
What is Gazprom's relationship with European football?
Gazprom has sponsored the UEFA Champions League as a "premium partner" since 2012. In May 2021, the two entities signed a new and more extensive three-year contract that included sponsorship of the European Championships in 2021 and 2024 and the Nations League finals in 2021 and 2023.
"Gazprom has proven to be one of our most trusted partners over the years, and we are delighted to welcome the company as a UEFA national team sponsor for the first time," UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein said at the time. UEFA did not disclose the financial scope of the sponsorship.
Why are Schalke under pressure?
Second-division side Schalke are sponsored by the German subsidiary of the Russian gas giant and have said they are following events in Ukraine "with great concern."
"Schalke will observe and evaluate further developments and strongly appeal for peace, to protect the people affected by the crisis," a statement said.
The sponsorship, which began in 2007 under controversial former president Clemens Tönnies, was recently extended through to 2025 despite Schalke's first relegation since 1991 in what was a record deal for a Bundesliga 2 side.
As a result, the club celebrated their 15-year relationship with their "loyal and reliable" partner and have even featured adverts for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline at the VELTINS Arena.
Calls for them to terminate their lucrative deal have resulted in the club announcing a decision on Thursday to remove the Gazprom sponsoring from their kits with immediate effect. Meanwhile, Matthias Warnig has informed Schalke that could no longer sit on the supervisory board as he’s on the US government's list of individuals facing sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
(Photo Credit: Twitter/UEFA Champions League)
