UEFA strips Russian city Kazan of hosting Super Cup over Ukraine war

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA stripped Russia of hosting rights on Wednesday for the season-opening Super Cup game in August because of the country’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

The city of Kazan, which was a 2018 World Cup host, was due to stage the curtain-raising game between the winners of this season’s Champions League and Europa League.

It will now be played in Athens at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium home of Olympiakos on Aug. 16, UEFA said after an executive committee meeting.

UEFA had not moved the Super Cup from Russia despite taking the 2022 Champions League final from St. Petersburg within days of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine last February.

Russian teams have been banned from UEFA and FIFA competitions since Feb. 28 and the International Olympic Committee also advised sports governing bodies not to let Russia host events.

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