Manchester City and Chelsea have been told by UEFA that the venue of the Champions League final will not be changed.
The two Premier League teams sealed their spot in the final this month after semi-final wins against Real Madrid and PSG respectively.
That has resulted in the third all-English UEFA Champions League final and the second in three years, after the previous final between Liverpool and Tottenham which took place in Madrid.
But, this year’s final occurs on the back of the pandemic which has crippled international travel and attendance to the final, which is due to be held in Istanbul, will be limited.
And Turkey is currently in the midst of a lockdown that only came into effect a week ago with the country having Europe’s highest infection rate, has led to calls for a change in venue to happen.
Sky Sports have even reported that Aston Villa have offered their stadium, Villa Park, to UEFA as an alternative for the final.
However, Football.London claims that UEFA remain committed to holding the final at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul and the venue will not be changed.
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UEFA are hoping to offer around 4,000 tickets to each competing team, with the overall attendance restricted due to coronavirus regulations, but it’s said that Europe’s governing body will be offering 100% of the usual allocation for corporate hospitality partners.
While UEFA was hoping to hold a 50% attendance for the final, including a one-seat space between each attendee, that now seems very unlikely.
But, there will be a 20-30% capacity with a minimum distance between occupied seats and fans being kept in a controlled environment.
