Wednesday, 19th February, 2014
Valencia have confirmed tomorrow's Europa League game against Dynamo Kyiv will be played in the neutral venue of Nicosia in Cyprus.
The game, initially set to be played in Kyiv, was under a cloud owing to the recent riots in the Ukraine that have left more than 20 dead and several hundred injured.
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Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych had called for a 'day of mourning' for 20th February, meaning the game was always likely to be held away from Kyiv.
A cancellation, though, was avoided, even with Ukraine's other major side FC Dnipro playing host to Tottenham Hotspur.
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"We will fly to Cyprus in a few hours," Valencia president Amadeo Salvo was quoted on the club website as saying. "It was very difficult to play in Kyiv.
"We provided security but there are many contingencies that cannot be controlled and it is best to play on a neutral field. We are satisfied that common sense has prevailed.
"It's the best and most positive [solution]. We have not changed the date. We will arrive two hours late with respect to the forecast for the rest of the players. But in the end, we have not changed the league schedule or planned training."
Dynamo had until earlier today maintained the game would go ahead in Kyiv, but later changed the location of the pre-match press conference and open training to an area south-east of Kiev.
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