Porto now favorite to host Champions League final as UEFA talks ‘falter’ for Wembley — report

The Champions League final is set to take place on May 29, that much is (probably) certain. Where exactly it might take place is much less certain however.

Istanbul looks to be out thanks to their current coronavirus lockdown as well as the UK government’s decision to place Turkey on a travel “red list” (in effect a travel ban). London’s own Wembley looked a likely alternative, but talks to move it there have apparently faltered, as per Tariq Panja of the New York Times, who’s been at the forefront of this story since the beginning.

Central to the talks were (are?) UEFA’s requirements to not only allow fans at some decent percentage of capacity (20k or more), but to allow for quarantine-free movement for both the players and UEFA’s own dignitaries, officials, and VIPs. And it’s that latter issue that’s apparently the sticking point, with the government open to allowing at least as many fans as are set to attend the FA Cup final this weekend (20k), but not giving UEFA the necessary waivers for other foreign arrivals and attendees.

This has made Porto the most likely host for the final, with Portugal on the UK’s travel green list and the country not having any quarantine requirements for approved travelers with valid and recent (72 hours) negative COVID-19 tests.