UEFA to move Champions League final from Russia
European football's governing body issued a statement on Thursday...
UEFA will move the Champions League final from Russian city, St Petersburg, on Friday due to the escalating situation in Ukraine.
The final was due to take place at the 68,000-capacity Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg on May 28 but UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called an "extraordinary meeting" of the Executive Committee for Friday to confirm the decision to move the match.
Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed an attack on Ukraine with explosions heard in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv while blasts were also reported in the cities of Odessa and Kharkiv.
European football's governing body issued a statement on Thursday, which read: "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.
"As the governing body of European football, UEFA is working tirelessly to develop and promote football according to common European values such as peace and respect for human rights, in the spirit of the Olympic Charter. 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. Decisions will be taken by the UEFA Executive Committee and announced tomorrow."
