Ararat-Armenia vs Sparta match moved due to Jennifer Lopez concert

The second leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round between Yerevan’s Ararat-Armenia and Czech club Sparta was initially scheduled for August 14 at the Republican Stadium in Yerevan.

However, UEFA’s official website now lists the venue as the Football Academy Stadium in Avan, where Ararat-Armenia typically hosts its Armenian Premier League matches.

Originally, the match was planned to take place at the country’s main stadium, with a capacity of 15,000 spectators, but it has now been moved to a smaller venue that can hold around 2,000 fans.

The reason for the relocation is believed to be the Jennifer Lopez concert that took place at the Republican Stadium on August 3. According to sources, the event drew a huge crowd, and the pitch was left noticeably damaged. Restoration is expected to take time.

The main task now is to restore the field to a playable condition in time for the UEFA play-off rounds and for Armenia’s World Cup 2026 qualifier against Portugal, scheduled for September 6.

The first leg between Sparta and Ararat-Armenia will take place on August 7 at Prague’s Letná Stadium, which has a capacity of 18,000.