23 July 2014 18:17
Dnipro’s home leg of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie with Copenhagen has been moved to Kiev.
The first leg had been set to be held at the Dnipro-Arena in Dnipropetrovsk in eastern Ukraine.
Danish outfit Copenhagen had voiced fears about their ability to travel to Dnirpopetrovsk following the Malaysia Airlines flight crash last week and the growing civil unrest in Ukraine.
Copenhagen and the Danish Football Association (DBU) expressed serious doubts over the club’s capability to fly to the city or obtain insurance for the trip.
And FIFA have heeded Copenhagen’s concerns, scheduling the clash to take place on July 30 at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev – 400 kilometres west of Dniproetrovsk.
In response, a statement from Copenhagen read: “We are pleased that UEFA have listened to and understood the many arguments we put forward against playing the match in Dnipropetrovsk. And in this context, we send a big thank you to DBU for their aid and co-operation.
“Playing in Kiev is a viable option because our insurance covers us in the area, it is a clear improvement due to the great distance from the eastern regions of Ukraine, and because it is possible for us to fly close to or into Kiev.
“We would like to emphasise that we have no problem with our opponents, FC Dnipro, and this issue has been solely about safety and common sense.
“Now we can put all our efforts into arranging the best possible trip and using the little preparation time we have available, before focusing on sport. This is a big and important game for FC Copenhagen.”
The return leg will be played on August 6 at Parken in Copenhagen.