THE RACE TO HOST THE GRAND SHOWPIECE
A DECISION will be made this week on whether the 2020-21 Champions League final will be moved from Istanbul. These are the options UEFA are considering
PLAN A Keep the final, as scheduled, in Istanbul
WITH Turkey on the Government’s ‘red list’, it means fans from the UK have been told not to travel to Istanbul. If any do, they will be required to quarantine in an approved hotel for 10 days at a cost of £1,750 when they return.
And unless Chelsea and Manchester City players are granted special exemption, it also means all their stars will have to quarantine for 10 days in Government-approved hotels and provide umpteen tests — re-emerging just three days before the start of the European Championship finals.
Having pulled last year’s final from Istanbul — it was moved to Lisbon — UEFA are loath to take it off the Turks once more.
PLAN B Hold the match in England, probably at Wembley
THE Government is urging UEFA to move the final to England. Wembley would be the obvious choice, which would mean the FA moving the Championship play-off final, due to be staged on the same day. However, match officials, UEFA officials and foreign media arriving in England would have to either take tests or quarantine in a hotel and take tests, depending on which country they are flying in from, and that clearly will not appeal to Europe’s governing body.
PLAN C Stage it somewhere else in Europe, for example, Lisbon
LISBON successfully staged last year’s final — having been moved from Istanbul — and since Portugal is on the UK’s ‘green list’, it means open travel between the countries.