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UEFA is under pressure to move the Champions League football final from St Petersburg after Russia’s recognition of two breakaway Ukrainian regions.
Officials at European football’s governing body have been holding discussions on the effect of Russia’s deepening intervention in Ukraine on whether the Champions League final can still be staged in St Petersburg.
The showpiece game in European football is due to be played in the Russian city on May 28, the biggest sporting event in the country since the 2018 World Cup.
UEFA said over the weekend that it was “constantly and closely monitoring the situation” and had no plans to change the final venue.
But a person with knowledge of the situation said the Ukraine crisis was discussed by top-level officials at UEFA on Tuesday, including its president, Aleksander Ceferin.
The European football governing body has not issued a fresh statement since fears were raised of a fuller Russian invasion of Ukraine after Moscow announced on Monday the recognition of independence for separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss talks assessing the geopolitical situation.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it would be “inconceivable” that major international football tournaments could take place in Russia after its recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Johnson made the comments in the House of Commons on Tuesday when Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey encouraged the prime minister to “push for this year’s Champions League final to be moved from St Petersburg”.
“It is absolutely vital in this critical moment that President [Vladimir] Putin understands that what he is doing is going to be a disaster for Russia,” he said.
“It is clear from the response of the world to what he has done already in Donbas that he is going to end up with a Russia that is poorer … a Russia that is more isolated.”