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The final of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League campaign will be played at the Stade de France in Paris on the 28th of May 2022. Initially, the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg was chosen as the venue, but due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, UEFA called for an emergency meeting in late February and decided to change the venue.
In an extraordinary meeting that was held on the 24th of February, the governing body decided that it would be best advised to arrange an alternative venue for the final due to the developing geopolitical situation. In an elaborate statement, UEFA confirmed on the 25th of February that the final would indeed be held in Paris.
"The UEFA Executive Committee today held an extraordinary meeting following the grave escalation of the security situation in Europe.
"The UEFA Executive Committee decided to relocate the final of the 2021/22 UEFA Men’s Champions League from Saint Petersburg to Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The game will be played as initially scheduled on Saturday 28 May at 21:00 CET.
"UEFA wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to French Republic President Emmanuel Macron for his personal support and commitment to have European club football’s most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis. Together with the French government, UEFA will fully support multi-stakeholder efforts to ensure the provision of rescue for football players and their families in Ukraine who face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement.
2021-22 UEFA Champions League campaign could witness grandstand finish
Chelsea are currently the kings of the continent, having beaten Premier League side Manchester City in the final last year. The Blues face Lille in the Round of 16 of the competition and are expected to go through, but Thomas Tuchel's side aren't widely regarded as one of the favorites to win the UCL this time around.
Manchester City are in the mix once again, while Paris Saint-Germain's star-studded squad have shown their class on the grandest stage. The likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich are also in the mix, so the business end of the UCL campaign could be one to behold.
Which one of these European giants will come out on top? Only time will tell.
