By Andrew Warshaw
May 13 – Porto has been confirmed as the venue for this season’s all-English Champions League final later this month after a deal to move the game from Istanbul to Wembley couldn’t be reached between UEFA and the British government.
UEFA say 6,000 fans from each club will be allowed to attend the May 29 showdown in what will be the second successive final to be staged in Portugal after authorities there offered to step in.
Talks to strip Turkey of hosting rights for the second year running began last week after the country, still in lockdown and in the grip of Covid-19, was placed on the UK’s so-called ‘red list’ travel ban.
UEFA then explored the possibility of switching their end-of-season showpiece of Wembley, the most logical venue, in order to accommodate both finalists, Chelsea and Manchester City.
But UK officials refused to waive quarantine rules for up to 2,000 staff, sponsors, VIPs and international media so Porto’s Estádio do Dragão was selected as a compromise.
While UK citizens returning from red-list countries are required to quarantine at a government-approved hotel for 10 days, Portugal is on the UK’s green list of destinations, making it far easier for fans of both clubs to travel.
The final hurdle UEFA needed was for Portugal to agree to jump in as hosts and sanction thousands of English supporters descending on its northern city. Bayern Munich beat Paris St Germain in last year’s final which was held at the Estadio de la Luz in Lisbon.
“I hope the final will be a symbol of hope at the re-emergence of Europe from a difficult period and that the fans who travel to the game will once again be able to lend their voices to showcase this final as the best in club football,” said UEFA’s president, Aleksander Ceferin.
“We accept that the decision of the British government to place Turkey on the red list for travel was taken in good faith and in the best interests of protecting its citizens from the spread of the virus but it also presented us with a major challenge in staging a final featuring two English teams.
“The difficulties of moving the final are great and the FA and the authorities made every effort to try to stage the match in England and I would like to thank them for their work in trying to make it happen.”
“Once again we have turned to our friends in Portugal to help both UEFA and the Champions League and I am, as always, very grateful to the FPF (Portuguese football federation) and the Portuguese government for agreeing to stage the match at such short notice.”
“To deprive supporters of the chance to see the match in person was not an option and I am delighted that this compromise has been found. Fans have had to suffer more than 12 months without the ability to see their teams live and reaching a Champions League final is the pinnacle of club football. After the year that fans have endured, it is not right that they don’t have the chance to watch their teams in the biggest game of the season.”
Ironically, Porto is the only stadium where City have played and failed to win during this season’s competition.
That will be of little concern to City boss Pep Guardiola whose newly crowned Premier League champions have never been closer to picking up the trophy they crave above all others after a number of near-misses.
The big losers are the Turks who, after losing out a year ago because of coronavirus, find themselves in the same position and will doubtless be demanding some form of compensation.
Questions are bound to be asked about why British officials trumpeted Wembley as a possible venue in the first place. And why the UK couldn’t copy Poland whose government appears to have relaxed its own quarantine rules for the Europa League final in Gdansk.
“The Turkish football federation and the Turkish authorities have recognised UEFA’s efforts to give fans of the competing clubs a chance to watch the game,” said Ceferin as diplomatically as he could.
“The Turkish Football Federation and the authorities have always been reliable partners of UEFA and Turkey has hosted many UEFA events over the years with great success. I hope to be in Istanbul and Turkey for a Champions League final and many other events in the near future.
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