TheCable

UEFA has announced that the 2020/21 Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea had been moved from Istanbul in Turkey to Porto in Portugal.

The final is now expected to be played at Estadio do Dragao, the stadium belonging to FC Porto, on May 29.

In a statement on Thursday, the European football’s governing body said the decision was reached after Turkey was placed on the UK’s “red list” of countries with severe coronavirus outbreaks and fans urged by the government not to make the trip.

With Portugal on the UK’s “green list,” it means 6,000 fans of each club can be in attendance for the final.

The #UCLfinal between Manchester City and Chelsea will now be held at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto.

6,000 fans of each team will be able to attend.

Full story: ⬇️

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— UEFA (@UEFA) May 13, 2021

It is understood that travelers from the UK to green-list countries must follow COVID-19 protocol before departure but do not have to quarantine on their return.

“The UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City FC and Chelsea FC will be held at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto on 29 May 2021, kick off 2100 CEST, following an offer to stage the game by the Portuguese FA (FPF) and the Portuguese authorities,” the statement read.

“The final was originally scheduled to take place at the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul but, following the UK government’s decision to place Turkey on its red list of COVID-19 travel destinations, staging the final there would have meant none of the clubs’ domestic fans would be able to travel to the game.”

“After a year of fans being locked out of stadiums, UEFA thought that everything needed to be done to ensure the supporters of the two finalist teams could attend.”

To UEFA, Portugal makes it easier to gain access for sponsors and broadcasters, who would need to be compensated if they were unable to attend the game.