Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PLAN FOR FANS AT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
are still hopeful the showpiece final in May will have fans.
UEFA are confident there will be limited numbers at the Champions League final in the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul on May 29 and it is understood local organisers are bullish about the situation.
Liverpool, City and Chelsea all play quarter-final ties next week and their supporters will be hoping to be able to travel to Turkey should they go all the way.
Gdansk is hosting the Europa League final on May 26 with both Manchester United and Arsenal still in the competition but that is a smaller stadium and infection rates are high in Poland.
UEFA bosses have also lifted a 30 per cent capacity cap on European club fixtures until then but are not allowing fans to travel.
UEFA said: “The committee decided that in light of the fact that each of UEFA’S 55 members associations faces a different situation with regard to tackling the pandemic, such a cap is no longer needed and that the decision on the number of permitted spectators should fall under the exclusive responsibility of the relevant competent local/ national authorities.”
The UEFA Exco meeting was originally due to rubber stamp the new-look Champions League format but ended up only approving a new time frame for a decision to be made by April 19. However, the meeting lasted four hours which suggests there is a lot to discuss and be resolved over the fall-out with UEFA now at loggerheads with clubs from the European Club Association.
The big clubs are happy with the new 36-team format and 10 group matches but want a bigger share of cash, want more of a say and believe UEFA should be the regulators rather than the commercial partners reaping huge financial rewards.
The stand-off has now turned ugly with clubs also insisting they are consulted on Financial Fair Play and the fixture calendar.
Meanwhile, UEFA have voted through the use of five substitutes at this summer’s Euros and also the 2021 Nations League finals.