Champions League final set to be switched to Portugal as UK government refuse to relax quarantine restrictions
The Champions League final could be moved to Portugal after the UK government refused to relax quarantine restrictions in order for the fixture to be played at Wembley.
Uncertainty remains over the location of this season's all-English final between Chelsea and Manchester City, the tie having originally been scheduled for Istanbul, though Turkey's coronavirus situation and place on the UK's 'red list' for travel has put that in doubt, with travelling spectators required to complete a 10 day quarantine in a hotel on their return.
Boris Johnson had offered the use of Wembley to host the clash given the presence of two Premier League sides in club football's biggest fixture, though the Telegraph are reporting that the government's refusal to relax quarantine restrictions for visitors has put hosting the final in London in doubt.
UEFA had hoped reach an agreement that 2,000 VIPs, media and staff attending the game would granted exemption from current regulations, and despite further talks planned for Tuesday, there appears little chance of the UK government changing their stance, with Portugal now emerging as the likeliest destination for the final.
Portugal has now emerged as a strong alternative given the country's place on the 'green list' for travel, with Porto suggested as a potential venue to host the final.
Should an agreement be reached for the final to be held at Wembley however, UEFA are hopeful of securing a 20,000+ crowd – an increase on the current cap of 10,000 for a major sporting event – as has been agreed for this weekend's FA Cup final between Chelsea and Leicester.
Hosting the final at Wembley would mean that the Championship playoff final, also scheduled for May 29th, would need to be moved.
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