I STAYED UP FOR THE CUP UEFA: TURKEY RULES ROOST

In 2012, as a treat, a 13-year-old Mason Mount was allowed to go to bed late so he could watch Chelsea v Bayern in the Champions League final. Now the midfielder will be living his dream when his beloved Blues take on Manchester City

MASON MOUNT knows exactly when his dream of winning the European Cup was born.

It was on May 19, 2012 with the 13-year-old given a special treat by his dad Tony and allowed to stay up late and watch

Chelsea beat Bayern

Munich on penalties to lift the trophy.

Nine years on,

Mount’s own Roy of the Rovers story has seen him go from arriving at the Blues aged six to becoming an England international hoping to win the Champions

League in Istanbul.

With few fairytales left in football, Mount is a wonderful example of the wideeyed youngster living out his boyhood dreams.

He said: “I was at home in my front room, watching the game with my family. My dad let me stay up and watch the game.

“It was unbelievable to watch, to see the atmosphere, to see the celebrations and to see the legends that were at this club achieve greatness.

“It started that dream of me wanting to do it and I want to do it with this team. Now we have given ourselves a great opportunity to achieve it.

“With the team we have and with the group we have, the staff and the feeling we have, the confidence we have, we know we can do.

“It’s one more game to go but it’s going to be a very tough one.”

That night in Munich saw Chelsea defy the odds and Bayern in their own ground to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.

It should have been an incredible night when they beat Real Madrid to reach the final again, yet some of the players - such as Edouard Mendy, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner have yet to play at a full Stamford Bridge.

That is the biggest disappointment for Mount, 22, and the reason why the substitutes, coaching staff and other squad players have created such a special atmosphere for big games in empty stadiums.

Mount said: “I was gutted we couldn’t share this with the fans because it would have been a special, special moment.

“It’s still a special moment but it would have been extra special. You have to create your own atmosphere and the whole team, the staff, the people in the stands, the boys on the bench they absolutely gave it everything and really supported us.

“We could hear them from the stands and that extra bit of motivation, that extra bit of help in the game means so much. From the celebrations, I could hear them shouting and screaming and running and jumping on the pitch.

“We had one game when some fans came back and we had that feeling then, it was unbelievable with a couple thousand there.

“But it’s a different story when it’s a packed-out Stamford Bridge on nights like this. I know the feeling of what it’s like but some of these boys don’t know yet.

“They’re waiting to feel that atmosphere, to feel the crowd.

We tell them how good they are and what an unbelievable connection we have with them.

“I can’t wait for them to come of back and give us that support inside the ground.”

Sadly it will not be a full stadium for the final either, with UEFA hoping to allow in 4,000 supporters from each side. Even if that number is allowed, it will be difficult for them to take in what has been a remarkable season for Chelsea.

Frank Lampard got them into the Champions League in the first place, gave Mount his big chance at Chelsea and yet was sacked at the end of

January with Thomas Tuchel taking charge.

And Mount says they owe a big debt to Lampard for the team’s progress.

He added: “Everyone knows what the start of the season was like and it put us in great stead to be where we are now.”

UEFA are determined NOT to shift the all-english Champions League final from Istanbul.

European football’s governing body expect to announce ticket and travel details today for the showpiece final between Chelsea and Manchester City on May 29.

Chelsea and City are hoping to receive 4,000 tickets each to the Ataturk Stadium (above), but UEFA are

still waiting on guidance from the Turkish government while fans will also need travel clearance.

Supporters from both clubs have called for the final to be moved to England because travelling 2,000 miles to Turkey – which is in full lockdown until May 17 – will be a nightmare.

But UEFA insist they are not thinking of moving the game.

And the only scenario for that to happen would be if Turkey has to extend lockdown or Covid cases get dramatically worse.

So Chelsea and City fans are left with the prospect of entering ticket ballots, trying to get flights to Istanbul and then having to quarantine for 10 days on return.

Although they can reduce that to five days with proof of a negative test.

The UK government may update on restrictions and travellers to Turkey and Poland – with Gdansk hosting the Europa League final, which expects to hold up to 25 percent capacity – could be allowed to go with no restrictions.

The FA will not step in unless Turkey cannot stage the final.