The Union of European Football Association (UEFA) has confirmed that the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City will be played at Porto’s Estadio do Dragao on May 29.
UEFA had wanted to move the final to Wembley and was in talks with the UK Government, but there was a considerable sticking point over waiving quarantine rules for the 2,000 staff, sponsors, VIPs and foreign media.
The fixture was due to take place at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, but pressure mounted for the venue to be changed after the UK government placed Turkey on its ‘red’ list of at-risk countries and urged fans not to travel for the fixture.
But Portugal is among the 12 territories that England is allowing people to return from without quarantine beginning next week.
UEFA said 6,000 tickets to both Chelsea and City fans would go on sale on Thursday.
“Fans have had to suffer more than twelve months without the ability to see their teams live and reaching a Champions League final is the pinnacle of club football,” UEFA President, Aleksander Čeferin, said.
“To deprive those supporters of the chance to see the match in person was not an option and I am delighted that this compromise has been found.
“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.”
Last year’s final, which was also moved from Istanbul to Portugal, was played without fans in Lisbon as Bayern Munich won.
“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,” Ceferin said.
