Istanbul to keep Champions League final despite two English teams

 

The stadium of the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City has become the subject of controversy, after Turkey was placed on the red list, which is banned from travel by the United Kingdom.

Uefa remain committed to staging the Champions League final in Istanbul despite growing calls for it to be moved to the UK.Chelsea ensured it would be an all-English affair against Manchester City after their 2-0 win against Real Madrid last night.

With Turkey currently in national lockdown, further questions have been raised over the suitability of fans from England traveling to Istanbul, but UEFA remain committed to their original plans And with the Championship play-off final also scheduled for May 29, a switch to Wembley would  appear to be out of the question. In a statement European football's governing body said: “The UEFA Champions League Final will take place in Istanbul on 29 May with a limited number of spectators and we are assured the temporary lockdown which is in force until 17 May should not have any impact on the  match.Chelsea are trying to confirm how many tickets they will be granted for the final and travel arrangements for fans planning to go to Istanbul.With the UK still waiting for its latest foreign travel regulations to be confirmed, it will prove challenging for Chelsea,  City and fans of both clubs to plan ahead.

 It is believed City are considering erecting big screens at the Etihad in order to allow supporters to come together to watch the match, with crowds of 10,000 spectators permitted by then.  fans turning up in numbers to celebrate last night's victory over Real it is clear there would be an appetite for a staged event