7 potential Champions League venues as Russia crisis leads UEFA to showpiece rethink

For the third season in a row, UEFA could be left scrambling around to find a venue for the Champions League final.

The Covid pandemic forced the showpiece event to be played in Portugal in each of the last two seasons, in Lisbon and Oporto respectively.

St Petersburg was initially due to host the 2020 final, but due to the pandemic that was pushed back to 2022.

However, with Russia sending troops into Ukraine it's expected that UEFA will make the decision to move the final.

That's led to speculation over where the game could be played, with the governing body only allowing five-star stadiums to host the game.

That means several requirements, including a capacity of over 50,000, but for the Champions League final a 60,000+ capacity is preferred.

That would rule out Hampden and Ibrox while the League Two and Championship play-off finals mean Wembley is not likely to be an option.

Celtic Park could theoretically be on the table but UEFA has expressed concerns in the past about the size of the press areas to host its showpiece match.

Here are seven venues that could host the game, with the authorities likely to take into account which teams are likely to be involved before making a final decision.

One of the most iconic stadiums on the continent, San Siro - officially known as the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza - has hosted the European Cup final on four occasions.

It has a capacity of around 80,000, transport links by metro and tram and barring an improbable Inter comeback against Liverpool neither of the two Milan sides will be in the final.

It last hosted the final in 2016 when Real Madrid beat city rivals Atletico to lift the trophy and, with plans to knock it down in the coming years, it could be a romantic option.

Mila