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Champions League final 2021 moved from Istanbul to Porto's Estádio do Dragão

May 13, 2021
The UEFA has confirmed that the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City will be held in Porto with 12,000 fans allowed to attend.
The UEFA has confirmed that the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City will be held in Porto with 12,000 fans allowed to attend.

BRUSSELS — The UEFA has confirmed that the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City will be held in Porto with 12,000 fans allowed to attend.

The all-English final was moved from Istanbul to the 50,000-capacity Estádio do Dragão for the May 29 showpiece, UEFA said Thursday.

Chelsea and City fans will able to buy tickets to attend the game in person — for the first time in more than a year — when UEFA releases 6,000 seats to each team from Thursday.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said. "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."

The initial backup plan had been to use Wembley Stadium in London, but talks with the British government stalled over being able to secure quarantine waivers for the guests and broadcasters required by UEFA to attend the game.

England has pandemic restrictions including on travel from Turkey, which would have stopped fans from being able to attend the game in Istanbul.

“We accept that the decision of the British government to place Turkey on the red list for travel was taken in good faith and in the best interests of protecting its citizens from the spread of the virus but it also presented us with a major challenge in staging a final featuring two English teams," Ceferin said.

Portugal is on a list of 12 places that people can travel to without having to quarantine on return to the UK.

Since the British government announced they would lift some restrictions on international travel from May 17 there's been a surge in demand for people booking holidays in Portugal.

For the weekend of the Champions League final at the end of May direct flights from both London and Manchester to Lisbon or Porto were already high on Wednesday at around €570 return.

Last year's Champions League final was also moved from Istanbul to Portugal but it was played without fans.

Gothenburg hosts Women’s

Champions League final

The UEFA Women’s Champions League final takes place between English Women’s Super League champions Chelsea and Spanish Primera Division league leaders Barcelona at the Gamla Ullevi stadium, in Gothenburg.

The 2020-21 UEFA Women’s Champions League is the 20th season of Europe’s primary club football tournament.

Both teams are aiming to claim their maiden Champions League title, with Chelsea making the semifinals in 2018 and 2019, and Barcelona defeated finalists, also in 2019.

The clash will be the first meeting between the two teams — and the victors will be the first club to clinch both men’s and women’s crowns.

The showpiece will also feature the competition’s top goalscorers going head to head, with Fran Kirby (Chelsea) and Jenni Hermoso (Barcelona) both striking six goals to date. — Euronews


May 13, 2021
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