UEFA Mulls Shifting UCL Final to England

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Union of European Football Association (UEFA) is set to decide by Wednesday whether to switch the Champions League final to the Wembley Stadium in England from the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey because of travel restrictions.

The European football’s governing body is already having discussions with the United Kingdom government officials and the Football Association and a decision is expected within 48 hours.

Two English teams, Chelsea and Manchester City are set for the final on May 29 but fans have been told not to travel after Turkey was put on England’s travel red list due to a surge in coronavirus cases.

There is a fixture issue to resolve, as Wembley is scheduled to stage the Championship play-off final on the same day. However, it is understood that the English Football League (EFL) would consider moving the match if asked by UEFA and its board would make the final call.

UK citizens returning from red list countries are required to quarantine at a government-approved hotel for 10 days. Such a quarantine would have an impact on players involved in Euro 2020, which starts on June 11, meaning that moving the final to Wembley would require the UK government to be flexible in allowing people into England, given the various stakeholders who would expect to attend.

The body is also considering the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, as a valid alternative venue, with Portugal on the UK green list for travel, meaning fans could attend without quarantine.

Another consideration for the governing body is the ability of staff, media and sponsors to travel to the UK without quarantine. 

A final consideration that will determine the decision is capacity. UEFA had been expecting a crowd of 25,000 at the Ataturk Stadium, while under rules expected to be confirmed by Mr Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister on Monday, only 10,000 would be allowed into Wembley. An exemption for a crowd of 25,000 might have to be agreed upon if the final was to be moved to London.

The Premier League pushed its final round of matches back to May 18 and 19 to allow clubs to play one game in front of supporters before the end of the season on May 23. The league confirmed last week that the matches will be open to home supporters only.