UEFA Champions League 2020/21

[DavidMarrio]

Just now, metalman said:

I know I'm just kidding (and I actually quite like baseball - it's the one exception to my generally flawless taste in things)

I'm just jealous...that and it's like I can't even back either team. The only over riding thought is Chelsea winning would be less annoying than Man City

[The Lusophone]

Pep finally getting there with City and falling at the last hurdle would be hilarious.

[METALMAN]

2 minutes ago, DavidMarrio said:

I'm just jealous...that and it's like I can't even back either team. The only over riding thought is Chelsea winning would be less annoying than Man City

There's that but I also think it would be quite funny if Manchester had more teams with European Cups than London

[stokeriño]

I mean, that was the case before 2012 as well.

[Gorka]

On 19/03/2021 at 12:27, damshow said:

Based on their current form I think we might be heading towards a City-Chelsea final.

👏👏👏

[METALMAN]

3 minutes ago, stokeriño said:

I mean, that was the case before 2012 as well.

yes but it is funnier if the numbers involved are larger. there's an equation for this somewhere.

[stokeriño]

I concede that if there were three teams from Manchester with European Cups, that would definitely be funnier than two.

[METALMAN]

I know you're being mocking here but I think you're writing off Stockport County a bit too soon.

[Baddar]

I'd prefer it if neither City nor Chelsea won the CL, but in reality, both deserved to win their semi-final matches. PSG and Real Madrid both got outplayed.

[Tigerstyle]

It’s the most uninspiring CL final, just don’t bother.

[gunnar hendershow]

CL finals of teams from the same league tend to lack the same luster. They've already met at least twice in the same season, oftentimes a third match as well in a cup.

This one doesn't even feel particularly in question. Man City are the best club in the world right now.

[Benjamin]

I'm actually a little more invested in their upcoming match this weekend in the league than that finals. With this and the finals of the Europa League, it's just been a bit of a bland finish to the European competitions. 

[Lineker]

Quote

Portugal has emerged as a strong candidate to host this season's Champions League final after UEFA failed to gain guarantees over the exemptions it requires to move the game to Wembley.

BBC Sport has been told European football's governing body has resolved that the match between Manchester City and Chelsea on 29 May will not be played in Turkey as planned due to the impracticality of fans from England being able to attend.

However, those issues do not arise in Portugal, which is on the green list.

UEFA also feel it is going to be easier to gain access for sponsors and broadcasters, who would need to be compensated if they were unable to attend the game.

The match could still be played at Wembley but it would require a major shift from the Government, who failed to reach agreement with UEFA in talks today.

Porto has been mentioned as a potential venue but it is understood Lisbon, which hosted last year's final, is also a possibility.

 

[Lineker]

 

[Adam]

Presumably the driving factor in that is so all the officials and dignitaries can attend? Stuff the fans of the clubs involved, as usual.

[The Lusophone]

11 hours ago, Adam said:

Presumably the driving factor in that is so all the officials and dignitaries can attend? Stuff the fans of the clubs involved, as usual.

Yes - moving the final to London was ruled out because they couldn't guarantee all the dignitaries could attend. It looks like Portugal will allow it, and allow fans in, it was just taken off whichever colour list it is that the UK has.

Still ridiculous that each club only gets 6,000 fans each, whilst dignitaries get 17,000.

[Colly]

That is ridiculous of course, but supposedly we wouldn't waive the quarantine rules for UEFA officials and the media, and realistically they do need to be there.

[Szumi]

I'm fully convinced UEFA is having the Final in Portugal instead of England to be the spiteful/petty girlfriend to get back at their boyfriend for starting a (completely ridiculous, unnecessary) fight. I wholly approve of it for the hilarity factor.

[gunnar hendershow]

I'm sure the dignataries and media are very bothered by having to go to sunny and calm Porto instead of London.

[Lineker]

Quote

Chelsea have returned more than 800 unsold tickets for the Champions League final with Manchester City in Porto.

The Blues were given 5,800 tickets by Uefa for Saturday's game and there was a high demand for 2,800 tickets which were sold with independent travel.

However, the unsold tickets were part of a charter package, which included subsidised flights at £200.

Chelsea Supporter Trust board member Dan Silver said: "Uefa's lack of care for fans has again come to the fore."

He added: "They came to be our friends over the European Super League but now they have turned their backs on us again.

"Uefa's insistence on having charter flights - initially linked to 90% of tickets, which the clubs pushed back on - spending only 24 hours in Portugal with added Covid testing and additional costs have made it very prohibitive.

"Selling tickets for up to 400 euros for a limited access final with unnecessary travel is outrageous when there were obvious solutions closer to home."

A capacity of 16,500 has been confirmed for the 50,000-capacity Dragao Stadium.

Uefa has been criticised for its pricing policy. Tickets start at 70 euros (£60.50) and rise to 400 euros (£346).

However, European football's governing body is facing some huge financial challenges.

It is estimated Uefa's pre-Covid reserves of 500m euros (£432.64m) will have shrunk to just over 100m euros (£86.53m) by 2023.

That financial impact is a direct result of the costs incurred in moving the European Championship back by a year - resulting in rebates to broadcasters and sponsors and refunds to ticket holders, plus the cost of Covid testing and mitigation measures for the rescheduled tournament.

It explains why Uefa was so keen to get both their prestige club finals played in front of fans and get commitments from Euro 2020 venues about supporter numbers.