Negotiations are taking place to move this month’s UEFA Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City to Wembley Stadium after Turkey was added to England’s red list of countries where non-essential travel is banned.
Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium is currently due to host the match on May 29. Supporters of Manchester City and Chelsea had been due to receive a minimum of 4,000 tickets each for the match, but fans are now unable to travel to Turkey after the country was added to the red list on Friday.
UEFA is set to decide on the destination for the final this week and UK Cabinet Minister Michael Gove confirmed on Sky News yesterday (Sunday) that “delicate negotiations” are taking place regarding the relocation of the match to Wembley.
Should the match take place in England, UEFA officials would need to be granted quarantine-free entry to the country. UEFA is based in Switzerland, which is currently on the amber list of countries meaning that people arriving into England must quarantine for 10 days.
Wembley is already due to host the Championship play-off final on May 29 but the English Football League (EFL) is said to be willing to move the match to accommodate the Champions League final.
Wembley recently welcomed fans for the FA Cup semi-final between Leicester City and Southampton, as well as the Carabao Cup final between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur as part of the government’s pilot programme for the phased return of supporters.
Around 20,000 fans are set to attend this weekend’s FA Cup final between Leicester and Chelsea, with supporters also expected at the play-off finals later in the month.
Wembley last hosted the Champions League final in 2013 and the stadium is pencilled in to host the match in 2024.
Image: Pixabay
