FC Utrecht will not have to travel to Tiraspol for the away match against FC Sheriff in the Europa League preliminary round. UEFA has moved the match due to a negative travel advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The first leg has been moved to another part of Moldova, for which there is no red travel advice. “Due to reasons beyond our control, the match will be played in Nisporeni,” FC Sheriff reports on the club website.
FC Utrecht submitted the request to UEFA due to the urgent advice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not to travel to Tiraspol. Tiraspol is located in the disputed region of Transnistria. That part of the country has separated itself from Moldova.
The region is located on the border with Ukraine, which is at war with Russia, and has many Russian influences. Sheriff, the company that is the main sponsor of the club that Utrecht faces, was founded by two agents of the Russian secret service.
The match has been moved to Nisporeni, a city in western Moldova. That part of the country receives a yellow travel advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dutch citizens are allowed to travel there, but the ministry emphasizes that there are “special security risks”.
FC Utrecht’s away match against Sheriff will take place on July 24. A week later, the return match will take place in Stadion Galgenwaard. Trainer Ron Jans’ team must survive three preliminary rounds for a place in the group stage of the Europa League.