UEFA has shown that the 2021 Champions League final in Istanbul will go ahead as planned despite the increasing number of coronavirus cases in Türkiye.
Turkey is preparing to enter its first full lockdown on Thursday, but European football’s governing body is still expecting a “limited number” of fans to attend its showpiece event at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on May 29.
“The Champions League final will take place in Istanbul on May 29 with a limited number of spectators and we are assured that the temporary lockdown which is in force until May 17 should not have any impact on the match,” UEFA said in a statement.
“UEFA will continue to work intensively with the Turkish Football Federation and the national government to organize the match safely.
“More details regarding adequate capacity and the main points of ticketing will be communicated shortly. “
It may be a fully English definitive for the second time in three years; Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 to win the trophy in Madrid in 2019.
This season, Manchester City beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the first leg of their semi-final on Wednesday and Chelsea drew 1-1 in Spain against Real Madrid on Tuesday, with the return fixtures taking place in England next week.
FIFPro General Secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann has criticised UEFA’s Champions League reforms as detrimental to players’ health and believes they’re unlikely to provide any additional financial boost.
Europe’s governing body for football approved changes that will see the number of teams competing in the Champions League rise from 32 to 36, while the group stage will be replaced by a single league stage, known as the ‘Swiss model’.
The changes to the festival will see the groups play at least 10 matches in the first phase, up from six in the current format, much to the frustration of Baer-Hoffmann, as well as players and coaches.
“We have observed this for several years, whether in the Club World Cup, in the Nations League or in the publicity tours that precede a new season. Sometimes the effect of the calendar on physical condition is little taken into account. and the functionality of the players. Jonas Baer-Hoffmann told Sky Sports News.
“The attention to the health has been completely lacking for years – we’ve presented on this to a number of bodies, including UEFA, but we don’t see it trickle down in the decision-making process.
“If players start getting injured or missing games, it doesn’t happen to anyone.
“These players need to play but they need to play at the highest point imaginable and, frankly, the price is not only created through the quantity of games but also their quality. “