After fans requested to replace Istanbul as the hosts, Portugal will host the Champions League final with 12000 fans.
Now, the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City FC and Chelsea FC will be held in Portugal.
The match will kick off at 2100 CEST on 29 May 2021 at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto.
Manchester City and Chelsea were going to clash in Istanbul for the all-English Champions League final.
However, the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust called for UEFA to switch this venue after Turkey made it to England’s red list.
English government advise their people not to travel to red list countries due to the threat of coronavirus. Even if they do commute to those nations, they may have to undergo mandatory quarantine periods there.
Because City and Chelsea fans can none of them travel safely to Istanbul now, they wanted UEFA to change locations.
Alternatives
Some fans, and the British authorities, even suggested hosting the match in their own backyard.
They wanted the all-English final to play at Wembley Stadium. However, UEFA could not secure the necessary exemptions from UK’s quarantine arrangements.
In the meantime, Portuguese FA (FPF) and the Portuguese authorities offered to stage the final. They would welcome fans too, because Portugal is a green list destination for England’s fans.
Porto Will Host Fans
Now, UEFA confirm that Portugal will host the Champions League final with 12000 fans from City and Chelsea in attendance.
Fans can safely travel into the country from England, and can be spectators at Estadio do Dragao in Porto.
Announcing the decision, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: “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 and the Portuguese Government for agreeing to stage the match at such short notice.”
After Turkey was inadvertently snubbed due to situational developments, Ceferin remained optimistic about the future: “I hope to be in Istanbul and Turkey for a Champions League final and many other events in the near future.”
