KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTING —- World and European federations FIFA and UEFA have urgent decisions to make about upcoming fixtures in their major competitions because of the escalating tension in eastern Ukraine.

The Champions League Final is due to be staged in St Petersburg, Russia, on May 28 but UEFA is already understood to be making informal inquiries about potential venues in other countries. It said it was “constantly and closely monitoring the situation.”

The Champions League Finals of both 2020 and 2021 were moved at comparatively short notice because of Covid-19 restrictions. The 2020 final switched from from Istanbul to Lisbon and the 2021 final from St Petersburg to Porto.

Russian President Putin: World Cup in his hands

UEFA will also be under pressure to cut it sponsorship link with the Russian energy Gazprom.

FIFA is under pressure even earlier. The 2022 World Cup qualifying competition in Europe has reached the playoffs stages.

Russia are scheduled to be at home to Poland on March 24 and then, if they win, would host Sweden or Czech Republic on March 29. The Polish PZPN has urgently asked UEFA and FIFA for guidance. Poland is a member of the NATO western alliance.

The status of Russia is already complicated because of the international suspension of its identity by the World Anti-Doping Agency. This does not to apply to European competitive matches but would cut in if Russia makes it all the way to the finals in Qatar in November.

No clarity is available yet on whether UK financial sanctions will have any effect on European champions Chelsea who are owned by the oligarch Roman Abramovitch.

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