After suffering from the impact of Covid-19 at the beginning of the pandemic, sport in Europe takes a new hit with the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The conflict, which began in the early hours of Thursday (24) with the invasion of Russian troops in Ukrainian territory, has already resulted in the suspension of championships, in addition to forcing changes of headquarters and cancellation of tests in some sporting events.
See how the war impacts European sport.
Champions League final change location
Initially scheduled for St. Petersburg, Russia, this season’s Champions League final had to change venues.
This Friday (25), UEFA, the governing body of European football, announced the move to the Stade de France in Paris. The tournament decision will take place on May 28.
In addition to the transfer of the European final, UEFA also defined that the home games of Ukrainian and Russian clubs, as well as matches between the two teams, must be played on a neutral ground.
“It is a pity that this decision was taken,” said Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “St. Petersburg had provided ideal conditions for the celebration,” he added.
F1 says it’s impossible to keep Russian GP
A day after some of its top drivers expressed concern about the Russian GP being held, the F1 organization said it was impossible to keep the race in the country. The Sochi GP was scheduled for September 25th.
“The F1 World Cup visits countries across the world with a positive vision of bringing people together. We are following the events in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a peaceful resolution to the present situation. On Thursday (24th), the FIA and the teams discussed the position of our sport, and the conclusion is, including the view of all interested parties, that it is impossible to hold the Russian GP in the current circumstances”, said the note from the FIA ​​(Federation Internationale de Automobilismo.
Sebastian Vettel and reigning champion Max Verstappen have taken a stand against the possibility of racing in Russia this season.
“It’s horrible to see what’s happening […] I speak for myself: I must not go and I will not. It’s wrong to run there. People are being killed for stupid reasons and a very strange and angry leadership,” the German said on Thursday, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian football league suspended
Shortly after the invasion of Russian troops, the Ukrainian Football Federation announced the suspension of the national football league. The championship was supposed to start this Friday.
There are 31 Brazilian players signed by Ukraine’s first division teams. Until last week, most of them were in Turkey, in pre-season.
“Due to the lack of fuel, closed borders, closed airspace, we cannot leave. We ask for a lot of support from the Brazilian government”, said defender Marlon, from Shakhtar Donetsk, a team that has 12 Brazilian athletes, in a video published on the social networks.
Russian football league postpones matches in two cities
The Football Union of Russia, the entity responsible for the sport in the country, decided to keep the calendar of the local football league. However, games in two cities were postponed.
By order of the Federal Air Transport Agency, Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar airports were closed. The matches that should be held in these locations have not yet been set.
FC Krasnodar would host Lokomotiv Moscow this weekend. FC Rostov would host Krylia Sovetov.
International Ski Federation cancels competitions in Russia
The FIS (International Ski Federation) announced on Friday the cancellation of all its competitions scheduled for Russia until the end of the season due to the war in Ukraine.
“FIS has decided that, for the safety of all participants and to maintain the integrity of the World Cup, all events scheduled in Russia until the end of the 2021/2022 season will be canceled or relocated,” it said in a statement.
Races were scheduled in Yaroslavi this Saturday (26) and Sunday (27), as well as competitions in Nizhny Tagil (18-20 March) and Tchaikovsky (25-27 March), as well as the ski World Cup finals. cross-country in Tyumen (18-20 March). The federation said it was working “to ensure the speedy return” of competitors who are in Russia for competitions.
The decision was announced after Norway, ranked first on the Beijing Winter Olympics medal table, and Sweden announced that they would not send skiers to upcoming events scheduled for Russian territory.
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