Since the United Kingdom put Turkey on their “red list,’ there have been significant doubts regarding the UEFA Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City taking place in Istanbul. Following a visit to the region, a British citizen must complete a 10-day quarantine period.
This not only deters Manchester City and Chelsea fans from attending, but it also makes it impossible for the players, many of whom must join their respective national teams for the European Championship, which begins on June 11th.
The All-England final is expected to be moved to Wembley Stadium in London. According to the British newspaper, ‘main talks’ about relocating the final to the English capital will occur in the coming days.
UEFA would want the final to be held in front of 22,500 people at Wembley Stadium, which may be a source of contention for local authorities. The English Football League’s (EFL) playoff games are already scheduled for the same weekend, but they will have to be rescheduled to finalise the Champions League.
The prospect of the Champions League final being held at Villa Park, the home stadium of Premier League team Aston Villa, was also discussed in the British press.
For the second time in three years, Chelsea and Manchester City beat Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, to make the Champions League final an all-English affair.
The Champions League final in 2019 was contested between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur and is widely regarded as the most crucial match in club football. The Reds came out on top to win their sixth European Cup in club history.
The final will be crucial for both Chelsea and Manchester City. For the first time since winning the competition in 2012, the Blues have made it to the final. Chelsea had a turbulent season after sacking Frank Lampard and replacing him with Thomas Tuchel in January.
On the other hand, Manchester City is in the final of the European Cup for the first time. The Cityzens have been hailed as one of the best teams in European football in recent years under Pep Guardiola. However, since the Spaniard took over the five years, they have yet to win the game’s biggest prize.
