Shakhtar-Lyon Champions League tie moved to Kyiv due to martial law order

Kyiv - Next week's Champions League tie between Shakhtar Donetsk and Lyon will be switched from Kharkiv to Kyiv, the Ukrainian club announced Wednesday.

Kharkiv, where the club play their home matches, falls under the martial law decree issued on November 28 by the Kyiv government amid tension with Russia in eastern Ukraine.

"UEFA has decided that the Champions League match against Lyon will be played at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv," the club said on its website.

On Monday UEFA competitions director Giorgia Marchetti said the match would be moved from Kharkiv without saying where to.

The UEFA website on Wednesday named Kyiv as the host city for the group-phase matches on December 12.

The tie is crucial to both teams seeking to qualify for the Champions League last 16. Lyon and Shakhtar are second and third in Group F on seven and five points, and the outcome will determine which of them reaches the next round.