Aston Villa have reportedly approached UEFA and the FA about the possibility of hosting this year’s Champions League final at Villa Park.
It will be the second all-English final in two years, with Chelsea and Manchester City facing off on May 29.
The final was originally due to be staged in Saint Petersburg, Russia, but was moved to Istanbul. They were due to host the 2020 final, which was relocated to Lisbon as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now there is widespread demand for another change of plan.
An article by The Independent claims that COVID-19 cases in the country have more than halved since its April 21 peak.
It also states that the hope is to allow 25,000 fans into the Ataturk Olympic Stadium for the final, and that a total of 8,000 tickets (4,000 each) would be allocated to fans of both clubs involved.
But it remains to be seen whether Turkey is included on the UK government’s ‘green list’ when its ban on foreign travel is scheduled to be lifted on May 17.
If it is placed on the amber list, any fans re-entering the UK from Turkey would have to self-isolate for at least five days on arrival.
If it is on the red list, solo travellers would have to pay £1,750 in order to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days upon arrival back to the UK. Both of those options therefore rule out the possibility of attending the final for a large number of fans.
Moving the final to England would of course remove those logistical problems for both clubs involved and their fans.
And Aston Villa are said to have put their name forward to host it at Villa Park.
Sky Sports report that the ground is not currently equipped to UEFA standards to host the final, but that assessments of the changes required are ongoing.
They also say that UEFA are still committed to staging the final in Istanbul as planned.
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