Russia STRIPPED of Champions League final and Paris will host showpiece event after crisis Uefa talks

UEFA has stripped St Petersburg of the Champions League Final following Russia's invasion of Ukraine - with the game relocating to Paris.

The match, due to take place on May 28, will now be held at the Stade de France.

2

2

It is the second time the final will take place at the French stadium - with the first coming 16 years ago when Barcelona beat Arsenal.

European football chiefs had been preparing the ground for a decision over the showpiece, with London among one of the alternative venues.

But the scale of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has forced the issue with UEFA recognising immediate action needed to be taken.

Uefa bosses held intensive talks on Friday and came to the conclusion that it had to be moved.

And that will also ramp up the heat on FIFA to act and kick Russia out of their World Cup play-off with Poland, due to be played in Moscow on March 24.

Polish FA chiefs have already signaled their "concerns" at the prospect of being made to play in Moscow after the country's government condemned Russia's aggression.

Most read in Champions League

LEGEND LOST

BBC radio icon Johnnie Walker dies aged 79 after ‘debilitating’ lung disease

TAKEN TOO SOON

BBC presenter died 10 days after diagnosis on NYE - her family had no clue

FIRE HORROR

Blaze erupts sending smoke billowing as locals told keep your 'windows SHUT'

WORST OF BRITAIN

Ten WORST places to live in Britain revealed - is your area on the list?

But it now appears impossible for the match to take place as scheduled - and increasingly unlikely that other nations will accept Russia's continued involvement in football.

That could see Uefa being urged to ban ALL Russian club sides.

But Uefa is also now under pressure to rip up it's Champions League sponsorship contract with Gazprom.

The crisis that is enveloping Europe now means sport - and football in particular - is a key actor in the scenario.

Germany and Japan were both banned from entering qualification for the 1950 World Cup in the aftermath of World War Two.

And South Africa was kicked out of Fifa in 1961, spending 35 years in the wilderness as the game sanctioned the Apartheid regime.

Earlier this week, members of the European Parliament wrote to Uefa boss Aleksander Ceferin, telling him: "Uefa must act now."

⚽ Read our Football News Live blog for breaking news, transfer gossip and must-read stories