MOSCOW, September 2 (RIA Novosti) - European soccer's governing body has confirmed that the September 5 Under-21 match between Russia and Georgia will take place in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
The decision to ask the Russian soccer authorities to choose a neutral venue for the match, a qualifier for the Under-21 Euro 2009 tournament, was taken by an emergency UEFA commission in Monaco on Thursday.
Russia, the tie's nominal hosts, chose the Trud stadium in Minsk.
UEFA cited "the political situation between Russia and Georgia" as the reason for its decision.
Russia and Georgia fought a brief war over South Ossetia in August and tensions between the two former Soviet republics remain high.
UEFA earlier ordered the Georgian national team to choose an alternative venue for its September 6 World Cup 2010 qualifier against Ireland. The match will now take place in the German city of Mainz.
