Hundreds of citizens were killed and hundreds more were injured after Russian rocket artillery opened fire on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, on Monday.
For waging war on Ukraine last week, Vladimir Putin’s country was penalized for losing the Champions League final to Paris and having the Sochi Grand Prix cancelled entirely by Formula One officials. While Premier League clubs operated over the weekend in what is regarded as the best football league in the world, watched by millions around the world.
Spartak Expelled from the League
In response to Russia’s military incursion in Ukraine, UEFA is preparing to remove Spartak Moscow from the Europa League. This means that RB Leipzig, which defeated Real Sociedad in the playoff encounter, will move through to the quarter-finals, which will be held on April 7 and 14.
The German tabloid Bild has reported on Spartak’s impending expulsion, even though it appears to be a severe step against the Russian side, which should not be held responsible for their government’s conduct.
RB Leipzig admitted that they are in intensive discussions with UEFA on how to progress in the Europa League round of 16 against Spartak Moscow and that the decision will be made today.
Official Announcement is Expected
UEFA and both teams are likely to make a formal declaration shortly. Club chief Oliver Mintzlaff said: “We continue to be in close contact with the associations and have complete confidence in Uefa and their decision. We assume that the games will be canceled.”
The first leg was supposed to take place on March 10, while the second leg was supposed to take place seven days later on March 17. After topping their group, Spartak Moscow was seeded in the last-16 draw, which meant the second leg against RB Leipzig would be held in the Russian capital.
Leipzig had previously announced: “RB is currently in intensive talks with Uefa about how to proceed in the round of 16 games in the Europa League against Spartak Moscow and assumes that the association will make a decision in the near future”
Read: Borussia Dortmund’s Europa League exit could lead to a major loss in June 2022
