UEFA are set to strip Russia of the Champions League final due to their ongoing conflict with Ukraine
Operators at the London Stadium – the home of West Ham United – have signalled their intentions to be considered as an option to host the Champions League final this season.
St. Petersburg is the current venue but UEFA are set to take the final away from the city due to Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine, which has seen Russian troops mass the Ukrainian border.
On Wednesday morning the foreign secretary Liz Truss called for any English club to boycott the final should UEFA choose to keep it in the Russian city.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has urged Premier League teams to boycott the Champions League final in Russia if they reach it https://t.co/SdjOu0GaFW
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) February 23, 2022
Both Wembley Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have also been touted as potential venues, but the former is hosting the EFL League Two play-off final and the latter the rugby league Challenge Cup final on the same day as the final (May 28).
In an exclusive report from The Telegraph, the London Stadium could now become an option given that the 66,500 capacity stadium isn’t scheduled to host any events during that period.
Given that the venue is already ready-made for football, it also has hospitality facilities and will have substantial accommodation available nearby, which will be ready at short notice.
Graham Gilmore, the London Stadium chief executive, welcomed the idea of hosting the Champions League final and confirmed they would be ready if needed.
“We have a great history of putting on world-class events from Major League Baseball to sold out concerts and of course Premier League matches,” he said.
“We are always happy to hear from event holders, and there is a clear track record of the stadium and London hosting the biggest events brilliantly.”
UEFA, however, may choose to wait until after the the second legs (due to be played on May 3-4) of the semi-finals have been completed before announcing the venue.
Related links:
- Andriy Shevchenko joins Zinchenko with defiant statement on Russia-Ukraine conflict
- Boycott Champions League final in Russia, Lizz Truss urges Premier League teams
- Ukrainian international Oleksandr Zinchenko speaks out amid rising tensions on Russian border
