Champions League Final || Manchester City - Chelsea || UEFA Shifts The Final From Istanbul To Porto

UEFA confirmed that the Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea will be played in Porto on May 29, 2021 and not in Istanbul, due to the delicate health situation in the Turkish capital. In this way, the Estadio do Dragao will be able to host 6,000 fans from each of the two finalist clubs.

The body chaired by Aleksander Ceferin stressed that "the decision of the United Kingdom government to place Turkey on its red list of destinations" due to the pandemic, caused that "organizing the final there would have meant that no fan" of the finalists would have been able to " to travel".

"After a year in which fans have not been able to access the stadiums, UEFA thought that everything possible had to be done to ensure that they could attend," added the body, which also "discussed" that the final be played in England, but that "it was not possible to achieve the necessary exemptions from the UK quarantine agreements."

"A SYMBOL OF HOPE"

Starting this Thursday, 6,000 tickets per club will go on sale, which City and Chelsea will make available to their fans. "The number of fans from each team that will be able to attend is the same as that planned in Istanbul," Ceferin said.

It must be remembered that Portugal already organized the 'Final 8' of the Champions League in 2020, then in Lisbon. "I am very grateful to the Federation and the Government for agreeing to organize the party on such short notice. They have worked tirelessly with tight time constraints in the face of the many challenges that hosting a party of this magnitude presents," Ceferin said.

"I hope that the final is a symbol of hope in the resurgence of Europe after a difficult period and that the fans who come to the game can again lend their voice to show this final as the best in club football," concluded the coach Slovenian.