Chelsea’s away leg in the Europa League quarter-final against Rubin Kazan has been moved to Moscow following UEFA concerns over the pitch conditions at the Tsentrainiy Stadium in Kazan.
The move has been made despite the Russian club’s insistence that their home ground would be ready to host the game scheduled for April 11th. Their previous two home matches during the knockout stages of the Europa League have also been held in Moscow at the Luzhniki Stadium.
A statement on Chelsea’s official website read:
“Following a pitch inspection in Kazan, UEFA are of the opinion the pitch and climate conditions at the Tsentrainiy Stadium, Rubin Kazan’s home ground, cannot guarantee the best possible conditions.”
The Luzhniki Stadium will bring back some painful memories for Chelsea fans as it is the ground where the West London club lost their first Champions League final against Manchester United on penalties, it’s especially painful as our captain John Terry was within a post’s width of winning it and unfortunately lost his footing during the run-up.
