According to the German press agency, UEFA announced that it “currently no plans”to reschedule the final. British foreign policy expert Tom Tugendhat from the Conservative Party also criticized UEFA for this stance. “This is a shameful decision. UEFA should not provide cover for a violent dictatorship”he wrote on Twitter.
Russia will play Poland in World Cup qualifiers in March
In addition to the final of the Champions League in the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg, there are other UEFA games with Russian participation. Zenit Saint Petersburg plays against Betis Sevilla in the second round of the Europa League on Thursday. Spartak Moscow is already in the round of 16 in the same competition.
The playoffs of the European qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be particularly tricky. Russia is scheduled to play against Poland in the semi-finals in Moscow on March 24, and Russia would also have home advantage in the final on March 29 if they progressed, then against the Czech Republic or Sweden. When dictator Alexander Lukashenko quelled demonstrations in Belarus, UEFA moved most games involving Belarus to neutral ground.
According to “n-tv.de”, UEFA announced that it was for the games in the Europa League and in the World Cup qualifiers “in close contact with the national associations and clubs concerned”. However, it is currently planned that all games will take place as planned.
UEFA: “Gazprom is one of our most trusted partners”
UEFA is not known for dealing critically with its sponsors. At Euro 2021, Qatar Airways, the state-owned airline, became the “official airline” of the Euro. Several of UEFA’s Chinese sponsors were suspected of profiting from forced labor by China’s oppressed Uyghur minority. When asked by the sports show, UEFA did not answer what amount is now due for sponsorship by Gazprom.
“Gazprom has proven to be one of our most trusted partners over the years”enthused UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein in a statement expanding sponsorship by Gazprom. “Gazprom is not only a leader in its field, it also has a long tradition in football and we look forward to working even more closely together in the years to come.”
A close cooperation has existed for a long time. The last Russian officials to sit on the UEFA Executive Committee or on the FIFA Council on behalf of UEFA were linked to the company. This also applies to Alexander Dyukov, a member of the UEFA executive board since 2021. He was president of the Gazprom factory club Zenit Saint Petersburg, is now president of the Russian association and chairman of the Gazprom subsidiary Gazprom Neft. Upon request, UEFA did not comment on whether these interdependencies have an influence on decisions.