How sport reacted to the Ukraine crisis

The sporting world will be impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how sport has reacted to the crisis.

UEFA is set to confirm that this season’s Champions League final will no longer take place in St Petersburg, the PA news agency understands.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called an extraordinary meeting for Friday where it is expected the 68,000-capacity Gazprom Arena will be stripped of its right to host the final.

The governing body said: “UEFA shares the international community’s significant concern for the security situation developing in Europe and strongly condemns the ongoing Russian military invasion in Ukraine.

“We remain resolute in our solidarity with the football community in Ukraine and stand ready to extend our hand to the Ukrainian people.

“We are dealing with this situation with the utmost seriousness and urgency. Decisions will be taken by the UEFA Executive Committee and announced tomorrow.”

The Scottish Football Association is in talks with UEFA as Ukraine are Scotland’s World Cup play-off opponents.

Ukraine are due to visit Hampden on March 24 and the fate of the game will also be on the agenda at UEFA’s meeting.

The football associations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic issued a joint statement on Thursday afternoon calling for World Cup play-off matches not to be played in Russia.

The Ukraine Premier League was set to end its winter break on Saturday but is now suspended.

In Germany, second division Schalke announced the logo of main sponsor Gazprom would be removed from the club’s shirts.

Russia’s world number seven Andrey Rublev voiced his support for peace, taking to Instagram prior to his match against American Mackenzie McDonald in Dubai to