UEFA, governing body of the European football, decided to suspend all club and national team competition matches in Armenia and Azerbaijan given the tense security situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the organization’s Executive Committee said on Tuesday.
“After having carefully monitored the evolution of the situation which broke out late September, which has already led to the relocation of a UEFA Europa League play-off and two UEFA Nations League matches to neutral venues, UEFA is of the opinion that, at the present time, the conditions to stage UEFA matches in these countries are not met,” read the statement.
The UEFA Executive Committee said it would ask football authorities of both countries to propose alternative venues for their next UEFA competition matches to be played at home.
It said the decision did not affect the ongoing planning for the staging of UEFA EURO 2020 matches in Baku in June next year.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a cease-fire was reached, although there have been minor sporadic clashes since.
A new round of armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia broke out on Sept. 27 along the contact line of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The clashes have reportedly caused heavy casualties and property losses.
