Barcelona and Napoli stars display "stop war" banner before Europa League clash

Players of Napoli and Barcelona have come together to display a 'Stop War' banner ahead of their Europa League playoff match for the Round of 16.

The move comes on the same day that Russia declared war on Ukraine as tensions in Eastern Europe escalated in a development that may have wide-ranging ramifications.

The Catalan giants are participating in the tournament for the first time since 2004 after suffering a shock group stage elimination from the Champions League.

Napoli progressed through the group stages of the Europa League as they edged out Leicester City into the final qualification spot.

Players of both teams displayed the banner ahead of their match in Naples in a display of unity and removing division.

Elsewhere in the Europa League, Ukrainian playmaker Ruslan Malinovskyi unveiled a 'no war in Ukraine' undershirt after scoring for Atalanta against Olympiacos after scoring a goal.

Dinamo Zagreb supporters held up a banner saying "Support To The People Of Ukraine" during their Europa League match against Sevilla earlier on Thursday.

Meanwhile, UEFA are expected to move the Champions League final away from Saint Petersburg due to the developments.

This season's showpiece event is scheduled to take place in the Russian city on May 28 but that now seems very unlikely following recent news.

Speaking on Wednesday, British prime minister Boris Johnson said Russia should have "no chance of holding football tournaments" due to the crisis.

And multiple sources have announced the final will be moved, with an announcement expected as early as Friday morning.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called for an extraordinary meeting and it's believed contingency plans are being drawn up over where to host the game.

"Following the evolution of the situation between Russia and Ukraine in the last 24 hours, the UEFA president has decided to call an extraordinary meeting of the executive committee for Friday 25 February at 1000 CET (0900 GMT), in order to evaluate the situation and take all necessary decisions," confirmed a UEFA statement on Thursday.

"Further communication will be made after the meeting of the UEFA executive committee."

Saint Petersburg's stadium is sponsored by Gazprom, a Russian majority state-owned energy company and one of the Champions League's biggest sponsors.

UEFA's deal with Gazprom is thought to be worth £33million per season. The Russian company are also one of the official global sponsors for Euro 2024.

The Football Supporters Europe (FSE), an independent fan-led organisation, have demanded UEFA to make an "imminent" statement on the Champions League final.

"On this tragic day, our thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine, our friends, colleagues, members, & their loved ones," the FSE's official Twitter account wrote.

"Given the events unfolding, we expect an imminent announcement from UEFA on the relocation of the Champions League final from St Petersburg."