UEFA is set to switch the Champions League final to Wembley if certain assurances can be met, according to reports.
The UK government decision to place Turkey on the high-risk ‘red list’ for international travel on Friday evening threw plans to stage the all-English May 29th showpiece in Istanbul into disarray.
UK transport secretary Grant Shapps said supporters of Chelsea and Manchester City should not travel for the match, but added that the British government was “very open” to staging it here.
UEFA is reported to have ruled out any venue within the UK except for Wembley, and to be seeking guarantees of quarantine-free entry to the country for its delegates, along with media, sponsors and other VIPs.
It also wants the Government to ensure it can match the 22,500 capacity pledged for the group stage and last 16 matches at Euro 2020, according to reports.
UEFA’s reported insistence on Wembley would require the Championship play-off final to be moved.
It is understood the EFL would consider all options — including altering the arrangements for those fixtures to accommodate the Champions League final — should it be contacted by UEFA.
That could mean the matches being played on different dates, or at alternative venues.
Turkey was placed on the Government’s ‘red list’ after a rise in coronavirus infections.
