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UEFA Champions League 2020-21 final moved to Porto, 12,000 fans to be allowed

The UEFA Champions League 2020-21 final would be played on May 29 between Manchester City and Chelsea. The final was originally slated to be held in Instanbul, but Turkey has been put on the no-fly list by the United Kingdom government.

UEFA Champions League 2020-21 final moved to Porto, 12,000 fans to be allowed-ayh
Author
Nyon, First Published May 13, 2021, 5:56 PM IST

The 2020-21 UEFA Champions League final venue has changed. Slated to be held on May 29 between Manchester City and Chelsea, the final would now be held at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto.

The original venue of the same happened to be the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul. However, the United Kingdom government has placed a travel ban in Turkey, which meant that the fans from the UK would not have been allowed to travel to the country to witness the same.

UEFA Champions League 2020-21 final moved to Porto, 12,000 fans to be allowed-ayh

Although the Union of European Football Associations discussed moving the game to England, the UK government failed to budge from its current stance of a rigid quarantine protocol. However, the Portuguese authorities and Portuguese Football Federation worked swiftly to make the arrangements known to UEFA.

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“I think we can all agree that we hope never to experience a year like the one we have just endured. 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. 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," said Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA President.

UEFA Champions League 2020-21 final moved to Porto, 12,000 fans to be allowed-ayh

Also, with Portugal not being on the no-fly list, fans from the UK are free to travel to Porto. “I hope the final will be a symbol of hope at the re-emergence of Europe from a difficult period and that the fans who travel to the game will once again be able to lend their voices to showcase this final as the best in club football,” added Čeferin.

While the decision comes as a setback for Turkey, UEFA has asserted that it would look into future footballing opportunities for Istanbul extensively. “The Turkish football federation and the Turkish authorities have recognised the UEFA’s efforts to give fans of the competing clubs a chance to watch the game. The Turkish Football Federation and the authorities have always been reliable partners of UEFA and Turkey has hosted many UEFA events over the years with great success. I hope to be in Istanbul and Turkey for a Champions League final and many other events in the near future," Čeferin concluded.

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