Soccer

Chelsea quarter-final moved to Moscow

Europa League tie against Kazan will be played in Russian capital

Rubin Kazan's Roman Eremenko celebrates victory over Levante at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow earlier this month. Photograph: Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters
Rubin Kazan's Roman Eremenko celebrates victory over Levante at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow earlier this month. Photograph: Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters
Thu Mar 21 2013 - 11:37

Chelsea’s Europa League quarter-final tie against Rubin Kazan will take place at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Uefa has ruled.

It follows a pitch inspection in Kazan and comes despite the Russian club insisting their home pitch will be suitable for the meeting on Thursday, April 11th.

Rubin’s two previous home matches in the knockout stage of this season’s Europa League were also in Moscow.

A statement on Chelsea’s website said: “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.”