Champions League Final 2021; Man City and Chelsea Why Moved To Portugal
Games Indigo | The UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea will take place on 29 May at the Estédio do Drago in Porto.
The final was scheduled at Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium, but following the British government's decision to put Turkey on the "red list" of COVID-19 destinations, staging the final there would have meant that none of the club's home fans could have traveled to the game. After a year in which fans were locked out of the stadiums, UEFA felt that every effort had to be made to ensure that the fans of the finalist teams could participate.
UEFA discussed moving the game to England, but despite exhaustive efforts by the Football Association and the authorities, it was not possible to obtain the necessary exemptions from the British quarantine agreements.
One-nation Champions League finals
The Portuguese authorities and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) stepped in and worked quickly and seamlessly with UEFA to offer a fitting venue for the final. Because Portugal is a 'green list' destination for the UK, fans, and players attending the final will not have to quarantine on their return home.
The decision does not come without big regret for the work that the Turkish football authorities have done over the past two years to ensure the successful staging of the final in Istanbul. UEFA is grateful for their continued partnership and cooperative spirit as well as the understanding they showed in this particular circumstance, and will urgently look into future opportunities for the city of Istanbul.
Tickets
The stadium capacity for the game will be finalized and confirmed in due course. However, fans of Manchester City and Chelsea will be able to buy tickets through their clubs in the usual way, with 6,000 tickets per club going on sale as soon as possible. The window for ticket sales for the general public will open on 24 May 2021 at 14:00 CEST.
The number of fans from each team who will be able to attend is the same as planned in Istanbul.
Announcing the decision, UEFA President Aleksander Efrain said: "I think we can all agree that we hope never to experience a year like that that we have just experienced. Fans have suffered for more than 12 months without being able to see their teams live and reaching a Champions League final is the pinnacle of club football. Taking away the opportunity for these supporters to see the game in person was not an option, and I am pleased that this compromise has been found.
'After the year the fans have endured, it's not right that they don't have the chance to see their teams in the biggest game of the season. Once again, we have reached out 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 host the game at such short notice.
Every Man. City goal en route to the final
“They have worked tirelessly in very tight time constraints in finding solutions for the many challenges that hosting a game of this magnitude presents. Whenever there has been an obstacle, they have been creative in the solutions presented and the success of staging this year’s final is entirely down to their hard work and persistence.
“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.
Check out all Chelsea's goals so far
"The Turkish Football Association and the Turkish authorities have recognized UEFA's efforts to give fans of the competing clubs the opportunity to watch the match. The Turkish Football Association and the authorities have always been reliable partners of UEFA, and Turkey has hosted many UEFA events with great success over the years. I hope to be in Istanbul and Turkey in the near future for a Champions League final and many other events.
"I hope that the final will be a symbol of hope when Europe recovers from a difficult time and that the fans who travel to the game will again be able to raise their voices to present this final as the best in club football."
