UEFA, FIFA and IOC united in condemnation of Russian invasion of Ukraine

International sporting bodies including UEFA and Formula One are pulling major events out of Russia, as athletes speak out against the invasion of Ukraine.

The sporting world has turned on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine and the country is to be hit with a series of punitive measures.

UEFA will announce on Friday that St Petersburg has been stripped of the Champions League final in May, the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi in September is set to be cancelled and Manchester United are poised to terminate their contract with Aeroflot after the state-owned airline was banned from the UK.

Benfica's Ukrainian forward Roman Yaremchuk reveals a shirt bearing his country's coat of arms, as he celebrates after scoring a goal during a UEFA Champions League football match. Picture: Patricia de Melo Moreira / AFP)

UEFA, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee all condemned Russia for its actions, with the backlash including:

– An emergency meeting of UEFA’s executive committee being called for Friday to replace St Petersburg as the Champions League final venue.

– UEFA facing a decision over its major sponsor Gazprom after the German club Schalke announced they are removing the Russian state-owned energy giant’s logo from their shirts.

– A British Labour MP calling for the government to seize Chelsea from the owner Roman Abramovich despite the Russian oligarch escaping sanctions.

– Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic demanding that FIFA moves World Cup play-off games from Russia.

– The Manchester City player Oleksandr Zinchenko, a Ukrainian, posting a furious social media message attacking Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin.

– Brazilian players stranded in Ukraine pleading to be evacuated.

Manchester United were already reviewing their lucrative sponsorship deal with Aeroflot before the government’s sanction and are now expected to terminate the agreement. Aeroflot has often flown the United players to away matches but was not involved in this week’s trip to Madrid.

Russian flag carrier Aeroflot has been banned from UK airspace, forcing the Manchester United football club to reconsider their sponsorship. Picture: Valery Sharifulin\\TASS via Getty Images

UEFA’s leaders have taken the decision to remove the Champions League final from St Petersburg and an alternative venue will be decided at an emergency meeting of its executive committee this morning.

“UEFA shares the international community’s significant concern for the security situation developing in Europe and strongly condemns the ongoing Russian military invasion in Ukraine. We remain resolute in our solidarity with the football community in Ukraine and stand ready to extend our hand to the Ukrainian people. We are dealing with this situation with the utmost seriousness and urgency,” the European governing body said.

Roman Abramovich is a Russian billionaire who owns London football club Chelsea. Picture: Matt Dunham/AP Photo

Several alternative options for the final on May 28 are under consideration including London, Paris, Rome, Munich, Istanbul, Lisbon and Madrid. London would appear to be an unlikely choice – the FA has not been contacted about stepping in, Wembley is hosting the EFL play-offs that weekend and UEFA has also chosen London to host the Finalissimo – the inaugural match between the European champions Italy and the South American champions Argentina – on June 1. UEFA’s women’s European Championship is also taking place in England this summer.

Ukraine and Russia are among UEFA’s 55 member associations. It is likely that an announcement will be made that no UEFA competition games can be played in either country due to the conflict.

Ukrainian national team manager Andriy Shevchenko has decried “Russian aggression” on social media. Picture: AFP PHOTO / JEFF PACHOUD

Andriy Shevchenko, the former Chelsea striker and present Ukraine national team manager, posted a message decrying “Russian aggression”, while the Ukraine international Roman Yaremchuk removed his shirt to display the country’s coat of arms on a T-shirt after scoring for Benfica.

Abramovich was not included on the new list of those targeted by British government sanctions. He has put more than pounds 1.5 billion into Chelsea’s parent company Fordstam over the last two decades but if he had been sanctioned he would have been prevented from investing any more or selling the club.

The Labour MP Chris Bryant told the House of Commons that Abramovich should no longer be permitted to own Chelsea, citing a leaked Home Office document from 2019 which referred to, he said, “his links to the Russian state and his public association with corrupt activity and practices”.

Bryant added: “Surely Mr Abramovich should no longer be able to own a football club in this country?”

Originally published as UEFA, FIFA and IOC united in condemnation of Russian invasion of Ukraine