Champions League to be moved from Istanbul; Germany, Portugal contenders to host delayed final

With coronavirus putting all sports to a halt, the delayed Champions League (CL) final which is due to be moved from Istanbul could either be held in Germany or Portugal.

The UEFA’s executive committee will be having a meeting on June 17 and will decide the new location for the August final and also the country that will stage the quarterfinals and semifinals, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press.

Usually, only the final is held at a neutral venue, however, to complete the competition during the pandemic, UEFA has decided to shift the planning to back a single country for the last eight.

The priority for the remaining Champions League matches is basically the location that will be accessible to players and officials as fans will mostly not be allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the president of Portugal, had referenced a potential “good news” for football in August. Two stadiums in Lisbon have been floated – with Benfica hosting the final and Sporting Lisbon’s venue also used.

As for German newspaper Bild, it reported that Frankfurt is a potential location for the final if Germany gets chosen.

As for the CL final, it should have been staged last Saturday at Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.