UCL Final: Portugal set to host Chelsea vs Man City as Wembley misses out

The 2021 Champions League Final between Chelsea and Manchester City is to be played in Porto, Portugal, with Wembley missing out on hosting the all-English match.

Premier League rivals Chelsea and Man City were due to face each other in in Istanbul on May 29, but the decision of the British Government last Friday to place Turkey on its high-risk ‘red list’ for international travel amid the coronavirus pandemic led UEFA to look at other options for the final.

There had been hopes of an all-English final being played in the UK as Wembley Stadium emerged as a potential venue, but the Government told UEFA on Monday it could not agree to the quarantine exemptions being sought for sponsors, VIPs and broadcasters.

With UEFA unable to secure assurances over UK exemptions on Monday and Tuesday, European football’s governing body is expected to confirm that the final will now be held in Portugal at FC Porto’s 50,000-capacity Estadio do Dragao. UEFA is hoping that more than 10,000 people will be able to attend the game.

🚨| The Champions League final will be played at the Estádio do Dragão (Porto), with the announcement due to be made in the next 24 hours.

[via @angelomangiante]#CFC | #UCL pic.twitter.com/SqcuALftWQ

— SW6 Central #UTC (@SW6Central) May 11, 2021

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Currently travel into Portugal from countries outside the European Union is only allowed in limited essential cases, though international travel restrictions will end on Sunday, with the hope that rules can be relaxed to allow fans to travel from England to Portugal.

While the news will come as a disappointment for Chelsea and Man City fans hoping for a shorter trip, the silver lining is that supporters would not need to quarantine on their return to the UK given that Portugal on the Government’s ‘green list’.