For the second year in a row, the Champions League final is set to be held in a venue other than the one originally intended.
Originally planned for Istanbul, the final between Manchester City and Chelsea will now take place in Porto. The final between PSG and Bayern Munich last season was held in Lisbon.
The reason why the tournament had to be moved was due to England placing Turkey in a no-fly list due to COVID-19 pandemic. The move to Porto allows a certain number of fans to travel and support their team.
According to The Guardian, 6,000 tickets have been made available to supporters for the final on May 29 in Porto’s stadium, the Éstadio do Dragão.
Fans attending the Champions League follow must abide certain conditions.
While fans will certainly be happy about the possibility of getting to see their team in a European final, it’s not without conditions.
According to the BBC, fans traveling to Porto will have to remain in a bubble while in the city.
“Those who come to the final of the Champions League will come and return on the same day, with a test done, in a bubble situation, on charter flights,” said Portugal’s cabinet affairs minister Mariana Vieira da Silva.
“There will be two fan zones and from there they will be moved to the stadium and from the stadium to the airport, being in Portugal less than 24 hours.”
Source: BBC
Such restrictions may be warranted given the pandemic situation in Europe but it may not sit well with supporters.
One of the appeals of going to a Champions League final, aside from going with the hope that one’s team wins it, is getting to experience the host city and all it has to offer. Neither Chelsea nor Manchester City fans will have that opportunity by the sound of things.
Safety should be the main concern but it makes little sense to move venues with the thought that it’s for the supporters and then remove one of the reasons why supporters, or neutrals, may attend such an event.
There were talks that the final could be moved to England but the decision was ultimately made to move it to Porto.
While the decision may have been made with the supporters in mind, the restrictions placed on those who travel to the final will undoubtedly be soured by the limitations placed on them.
