Spartak Moscow’s last 16 Europa League tie with Leipzig will be cancelled today by UEFA due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week according to information by Bild carried by Marca.
This means that Leipzig, who beat Real Sociedad in the playoff to make it to the last 16, will advance straight to the quarter-final of the competition. The war in Ukraine obviously has a devastating human cost but it’s also affecting the world of football.
Spartak didn’t play in last week’s playoffs as they finished first in their group, ahead of Napoli, so they were exempt. Their compatriots Zenit St. Petersburg did only to be knocked out of the Europa League by Real Betis in their tie.
Betis are one of three La Liga clubs left in the competition, alongside their city rivals Sevilla and Barcelona. They’ll play Eintracht Frankfurt, West Ham United and Galatasaray respectively in the last 16 ties to take place in March.
