Russia-Ukraine crisis impact on football: Live news updates on Champions League, World Cup, Roman Abramovich and more

Speaking to Norwegian platform Viaplay Fotball after winning the Carabao Cup final, the Liverpool manager said: “I am nearly 55 and I don’t understand how one adult person can put the whole world in such a situation. I know so many Ukrainian people. It is the war of one really bad man. We have to show solidarity.

“How it always is in dark times – you need moments when you can think about something else, and I’m glad we were able to do that tonight. It’s a really tough one to take – we have to show solidarity with all sensibility.”

(Photo: Getty Images)

Ukrainian international Roman Yaremchuk is substituted on for Benfica and handed the captain’s armband by Jan Vertonghen.

The entire stadium rises as Yaremchuk is moved to tears.

He managed Ukraine until last summer, and Genoa until earlier this year.

The football associations of Poland and Sweden have reiterated their refusal to play World Cup qualifiers against Russia, despite FIFA taking measures against the country after the invasion of Ukraine.

In a letter to the governing body, the Polish FA has said that “as a football association, we refuse to participate in play-off matches in which the Russian national team appears”.

On Sunday evening, FIFA ruled that Russia will not be able to play at home and the team must compete under the name “Football Union of Russia” (RFU). There will be no flags or anthems allowed.

Full story here.

(Photo: Mikolaj Barbanell/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

FIFA, football’s world governing body, has imposed measures on Russia “to reiterate its condemnation of the use of force by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine”.

Russia will not be able to be play at home and the team must compete under the name “Football Union of Russia” (RFU). There will be no flags or anthems allowed.

They have also not ruled out “a potential exclusion from competitions”, should the conflict escalate.

The decision was made in co-ordination with UEFA, European football’s governing body, FIFA said.

Full story here.

(Photo: Harold Cunningham/FIFA)

They ask for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be banned from international sport, including the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing.

The Czech Republic FA have said its national team will not play Russia should both teams meet in the World Cup play-offs.

Russia are scheduled to play Poland on March 24 in Moscow, with the winner of that slated to play Czech Republic or Sweden on March 29 for the chance to reach the finals in Qatar.

Both Poland and Sweden confirmed on Saturday that they also would refuse to play Russia. To read the full story, click here.

Blue and yellow colours have flooded Wembley stadium as the teams head out onto the pitch for the Carabao Cup final.

Captains Jordan Henderson and Cesar Azpilicueta placed blue and yellow wreaths on the pitch, “football stands together” was shown on the screens and a minute’s applause took place prior to the England national anthem.

Kick-off in the Carabao Cup final is at 4.30pm.

You can follow that game live here.

(Photo: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

What happens if Abramovich is sanctioned?

There are some — who may or may not have just spoken to the club — who believe that if the unthinkable happens and Abramovich is sanctioned, Chelsea will be completely fine.

That is because a) they are a UK-registered company that has nothing to do with Russia b) they are a business that earned more than £400 million last season, with cash in the bank and more coming in every month from broadcasters, commercial partners and the turnstiles and c) they are now run by a charity. So what on earth could go wrong?

But then there are others — who may or may not have studied the UK’s sanctions laws — who wonder how a company wholly owned by a sanctioned individual could possibly function.

Full analysis below.

A message that the Ukrainian international is in their thoughts. West Ham also warmed up with “Yarmolenko” on their shirts.

Winger Andriy Yarmolenko has been granted compassionate leave.

Wolves also warmed up in ‘No To War’ t-shirts.

(Photo: Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images)

Speaking to Le Parisien, FFF president Noel Le Graet has said: “The world of sport, and especially football, cannot remain neutral. I certainly would not oppose the explusion of Russia”.

(Photo: Alex Livesey – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The Czech Republic FA have said its national team will not play Russia should both teams meet in the World Cup play-offs.

Russia are scheduled to play Poland on March 24 in Moscow, with the winner of that slated to play Czech Republic or Sweden on March 29 for the chance to reach the finals in Qatar.

Both Poland and Sweden confirmed on Saturday that they also would refuse to play Russia.

To read the full story, click here.

Following yesterday’s statement on Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich handing over the ‘care’ of the club, Chelsea have, this morning, provided a statement on the conflict in Ukraine.

The statement read: “The situation in Ukraine is horrific and devastating. Chelsea FC’s thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine. Everyone at the club is praying for peace.”

Paris Saint-Germain hosted Saint-Etienne last night. Both teams came together before kick-off to show support for those in Ukraine.

The Donetsk club have not been able to play at their home stadium since 2014 due to the conflict, playing instead in Lviv, close to the Polish border.

His Real Madrid teammate, Andriy Lunin, is the only Ukrainian in La Liga.