Uefa will almost certainly move this season’s Champions League final away from St Petersburg amid the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
Some countries, including the UK, introduced sanctions against Russia in response to the move.
Uefa said it was “closely monitoring the situation” and “any decision will be made through due process if necessary”.
Amidst the uncertainty, Uefa is considered highly likely to attempt to host the match in Russia.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, said there was “no chance of holding football tournaments in a Russia that invades sovereign nations”.
Culture Minister Nadine Dorries added that she has “serious concerns about sporting events to be held in Russia, such as the Champions League final, and will discuss them with the relevant governing bodies”.
She added: “We won’t allow [Russia] chairperson [Vladimir] Putin exploited events on the world stage to legitimize his illegal invasion of Ukraine. “
Meanwhile, former UK sport minister Tracey Crouch has told BBC Sport that Uefa should postpone the final “immediately”.
European football’s governing body is assessing the situation before making a decision but it will be looking for a new location shortly for its third year of operation. The last two Champions League finals took place in Portugal because of problems related to Covid-19.
BBC Sport understands that the game will still go on on Saturday, May 28, which is likely to rule out Wembley as host as the League Two and Championship play-off finals will take place at the stadium. move that weekend.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said other locations in the British capital should be considered as he called for the imposition of “a comprehensive package of sanctions against Russia”.
“Hosting the matches should be a privilege not a right, I think the final should be moved out of St Petersburg and the London stands ready to host the final,” he told. BBC London.
Uefa has postponed the match between Dynamo Kyiv and Sporting Lisbon in the round of 16, which was scheduled to take place in the Ukrainian capital on March 2.
The match has been moved to 9 March, with Uefa saying they will remain “in contact with the two clubs for any other decisions”.
Other Uefa equipment may need to be moved. There are no teams from Ukraine in any other European competition this season but Russian club Zenit St Petersburg are still in the Europa League and are set to play the second leg of the play-off against Real Betis in Spain. Nha on Thursday. Zenit lost the first leg at home with a score of 3-2.
At international level, Russia is scheduled to take on Poland in the World Cup playoffs on March 24 and – if they win – will face Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29.
Ukraine also competed in the World Cup playoffs, visiting Scotland and then Wales or Austria to qualify for the tournament in Qatar.
Tensions in the region have escalated further this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin ordering troops to enter two rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine, after recognizing the countries as independent country.
Fears of an invasion have increased in recent months, according to US estimates, as Russia has deployed some 150,000 troops along the Ukrainian border.
“Given the British and European condemnation of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Uefa should immediately remove the Champions League final from Gazprom Stadium,” Crouch added.
“The ban on politicians and officials from the 2018 World Cup hosted by Russia is a gentle message to President Putin, which makes no significant difference – so Uefa needs to take a stand. stronger, especially to ensure the safety of traveling fans.”
St Petersburg was used as the venue for several matches at the Euro 2020 tournament which was delayed last summer.
