The final match of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League will be the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final, the 66th edition of the most popular European clubcompetition, and the 29th edition since theChampionship European Cup became known as the Champions League. It will be held in Porto, Portugal, at the Estadio do Dragão on May 29, 2021, between Premier Leaguerivals Manchester City and Chelsea.
This will be Chelsea’s third stintin the Champions League Final, while Manchester City will debut intheir first grand European final ever. The winnerswill be able to compete in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup against the champions of the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League, Villarreal, as well as qualify for the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.
They will also automaticallyqualify for the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League Group Stage, but if they have already qualified through league performance, the reserved slot will be granted to the champions of the 11th-ranked association based on next season’s access list.
Why is the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final played in Portugal?
Thomas Tuchel of Chelsea (left) and Pep Guardiola of Manchester City (right). (Getty)
Originally the final was scheduled tobe played in Saint Petersburg, Russia at the Krestovsky Stadium. However,owing to the postponing and relocation of the 2020 final to Lisbon as a consequence of the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe, the final hosts were pushed back a year, with the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey set to host the 2021 final instead.
Moreover, as a result ofthe UK government’s decision to place Turkey on its red list of COVID-19 travel locations, hosting the game there would have meant that none of the teams’ domestic fans would have been permitted to attend. After a year of fans being barred from stadiums, UEFA released a statement claiming they”felt that everything needed to be done to ensure that fans of the two finalist teams could attend”.
Eventually, onMay 13, 2021, UEFA confirmed a relocation to Porto to allow supporters to participate in the match.The Portuguese authorities and the FPF worked fast with UEFA and offered them a suitable location for the final, and as Portugal is a green list destination for England, it is not necessary for spectators and players who attend the final to self-isolate upon their return home.
The Estadio do Dragaois one of the largest stadiums in Portugal and it accommodates more than 50,000 people, but this time, both teams were eachgiven a total of 6,000 tickets. The facility was developed for the competition UEFA EURO 2004. In addition, the 2020 Champions League Final was also held in Portugal.
