UEFA orders Belarusian teams to play at neutral venues

UEFA said Thursday that all Belarusian clubs and national teams competing in European competitions must play their home matches on neutral ground following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

European football’s governing body added in a statement that no spectators will be able to attend games in which the teams from Belarus were down to host.

Belarus are being punished for hosting Russian troops that have been part of the invasion.

“The UEFA Executive Committee will convene further extraordinary meetings, on a regular ongoing basis where required, to reassess the legal and factual situation as it evolves and adopt further decisions as necessary,” read a statement.

Belarus are due to host Azerbaijan on June 6 in the Nations League and Kazakhstan or Moldova four days later, but there are no Belarusian teams left in this season’s UEFA club competitions.

The Belarusian women’s national team have a friendly arranged at home to Iceland on April 7.

Russia were expelled from the World Cup on Monday after FIFA and UEFA suspended all Russian clubs and national teams from their competitions “until further notice”.

Spartak Moscow were scheduled to play RB Leipzig of Germany in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Leipzig have received a bye into the quarter-finals.