UEFA
are considering options regarding Istanbul's hosting of the Champions League
final after Turkey was added to the UK's red list for travel just over three
weeks before the showpiece fixture between Chelsea and Manchester City.
UK citizens returning from 'red list' countries are required to quarantine
at a Government-approved hotel for 10 days.
The Government announced Turkey had joined the list of high-risk countries
at a briefing on Friday evening.
Speaking at a press conference, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said fans
should not travel and confirmed the Football Association has approached UEFA
over whether the match could be moved to England.
Shapps said: "I'm afraid we are having to put Turkey on the red list. This
will have a number of ramifications. First of all, it does mean with regards
to the Champions League, fans should not travel to Turkey.
"The FA are in discussions with UEFA on this. We are very open to hosting
the final but it is ultimately a decision for UEFA.
"Of course the UK has already got a successful track record of football
matches with spectators, so we are well placed to do it.
"We are very open to it but it is in the end a decision for UEFA to make,
but given there are two English clubs in that final. We look forward to what
they have to say."
Manchester City and Chelsea booked their places in the final on May 29 after
overcoming Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid respectively earlier this
week.
Immediately talk turned to England hosting the final, with Turkey in a
lockdown.
However, UEFA had insisted it had no plans to change the venue, stating:
"The UEFA Champions League final will take place in Istanbul on May 29 with
a limited number of spectators and we are assured the temporary lockdown
which is in force until May 17 should not have any impact on the match.
"UEFA continues to work closely with the Turkish Football Federation and the
local and national authorities to stage the match safely."
At Friday's press conference, Shapps said: "Red countries are those which
should not be visited except in the most extreme of circumstances, where
repeated testing and isolation in designated Government hotels on return is
compulsory.
"Non-UK residents who have been in a red country in the last 10 days will
still be barred from entering the UK.
"I must tell you that now due to concerns about Covid rates and variants of
concern, Turkey, the Maldives, Nepal must regrettably be added to the red
list."
Aston Villa approached the FA and UEFA earlier this week to offer Villa Park
as the venue for the Champions League final and avoid the need for around
8,000 English fans to travel to Istanbul for the event.
Chelsea Supporters' Trust call for UK
switch
The Chelsea Supporters' Trust added to the voices calling for the match to
be switched to the UK.
The Chelsea fans group revealed plans for a meeting with UEFA president
Aleksander Ceferin this week, with the intention of urging the European boss
to relocate the fixture.
"Turkey has been added to the red list and therefore no CFC supporters can
travel to watch the UCL final," read a CST tweet.
"We are meeting with the UEFA president this week and will request that the
fixture is moved to the UK."
top