The final of the premier class in 2022 is supposed to take place in St. Petersburg. But now Uefa is under pressure – recently the European umbrella organization had made a clear statement. There is also a problem with a sponsor.
It’s just over three months until the 2022 Champions League final. Just over three months until one of the biggest sporting events of the year. A highlight with billions of viewers worldwide. But that also means that Uefa has very little time to act.
Because the 2022 premier class final is scheduled to take place on May 28 – in the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg. After the recent escalation by Russia in the Ukraine conflict, the European governing body is faced with a dilemma: Can the final of the world’s largest club competition really take place in a country that, as an aggressor, not only threatens a sovereign European state, but also its right to exist denies?
That teams like defending champion FC Chelsea with star coach Thomas Tuchel, FC Bayern or PSG really play in St. Petersburg while the hosts are at war elsewhere? It would be a bizarre scenario.
Sponsor Gazprom is also becoming a problem
So far, the association has kept a low profile: “UEFA is monitoring the situation continuously and closely. There are currently no plans to change the venue,” the ARD sports show learned in mid-February in a statement from the headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Even then, tens of thousands of Russian soldiers were standing around Ukraine, literally encircling the country. However, after the recognition of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states and the deployment of troops by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the situation has fundamentally changed and even worsened dramatically.
There is also another problem: how to deal with sponsor Gazprom? The Russian state-owned company has its headquarters in St. Petersburg, holds the naming rights to the final stadium, where the local club Zenit usually plays – and has been one of the biggest sponsors of the Champions League since 2012, investing millions of euros.
Gazprom perimeter advertising at the game between Red Bull Salzburg and FC Bayern a week ago: The company has been present in the premier class for years. (Source: Eibner/imago images)
Gazprom is omnipresent in football. During TV broadcasts, the gas company’s ads run up and down, set to music by legendary composer Peter Tchaikovsky. The logo is prominently displayed on the advertising boards on the lawn. Russian Uefa officials usually have the best relationships with the company. Executive Committee member Alexander Dyukov is CEO of Gazprom subsidiary Gazprom Neft.
Fast action is also possible at Uefa
However, the last few years have shown that Uefa is capable of acting quickly: in 2020, the final of the premier class was supposed to take place in Istanbul, but was then moved to Lisbon due to the corona pandemic. Likewise in 2021, when first St. Petersburg, then Istanbul, was planned as the host, but then Porto was switched to at the last second.
And this year? Munich should actually be the final venue, before St. Petersburg came to the series due to the postponements of previous years – and Uefa is now faced with a dilemma. There are only three months left.