Portugal has announced that British visitors can enter the country from Monday.
Still, it is unclear what that will mean for the thousands of Manchester City and Chelsea fans hoping to watch their favorite team in the Champions League final.
Where is the game being played?
A spectacular European football event got initially scheduled to take place in Istanbul. However, due to travel restrictions, the coronavirus was transported to Portugal.
Porto’s Estadio do Dragao will now host the final on May 29 at 20:00 BST.
A reduced number of people will be allowed to enter the 50,000-seat stadium. And European football governing body Uefa ensures that 6,000 fans of each team will be allowed to attend.
Why was it distributed?
Two days after, Chelsea beat Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge to launch a Premier League match in the Champions League final.
Turkey has added to the United Kingdom’s red list of countries under the new travel restrictions plan.
This means that any travelers – in this case, the players, coaches, club staff. And supporters of the two clubs’ supporters will have to be separated at the hotel within ten days of their return.
Negotiations got held to move the game to Wembley still after an agreement had not got reached.
To allow them to get separated from sponsors, VIPs, and broadcasters, Uefa announced that. The match would be played in Portugal on Thursday.
Portugal is on England’s blue list, which will allow players and fans to be present without being locked up. On their own when they return home.
Can fans come, and how?
Ensuring the presence of fans was crucial to Uefa’s decision to move to the final.
Announcing the change of venue on Thursday, Uefa said, “all that needs to get done is to ensure that. The fans of the two teams that will enter the finals go”.
“The Portuguese authorities and the Portuguese FPF have had intervened and worked quickly.
And seamlessly with Uefa to provide a suitable venue for the finals and, as Portugal is a green spot on England’s list.
Fans and players will not have to be separated on their own when they return home,” Uefa said.
Both the team Chelsea and Manchester City said they were in talks with Uefa and other stakeholders about tickets and travel arrangements.
What does Portugal say?
Within hours of the change, the Portuguese government outlined several rules for visiting fans, including that fans would have to enter.
And leave the country on the day of the match and need to stay in the ‘tube’ while visiting.
Portuguese Cabinet Affairs Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva said restrictions would be put. To ensure that Covid-19 rates remain low in the country, with the crisis extended to May 30.
“And there will be two fan areas, and from there, they will be transferred to the stadium. And from the stadium to the airport, in Portugal within 24 hours,” he said.
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust called the situation a “farce.” While Manchester City said, it would release an “official day trip tour” on its website.
However, on Friday, the Portuguese foreign ministry announced. Visitors could enter Portugal from Monday, May 17, even though visitors would have to demonstrate an invalid test before leaving.
While Uefa has yet to comment after the review, City said it was in talks with the governing body for “clarification.”
Will all of this, be resolved?
Uefa is certainly optimistic. They believed that fans would be able to move freely or less. This is why they felt compelled to include it in a statement Thursday.
Confirming the change that “after a year of being locked out of stadiums. Uefa thought everything needed to get done to ensure fans of the two finalists could go”.
If the fans were more important, the game would have been transferred to Wembley.
Uefa has other demands, however, which is why the final game. Apart from its sponsors, broadcasters and dignitaries were unequal. And why Portugal got chosen as the center house.
A day trip with a restricted movement does not sell much of the fan experience. And Uefa hopes that the situation will diminish from now on.
There are no guarantees, but the feeling will be the same. Uefa will hope so as it is too late to change plans a second time.
