This is the big question of the moment: where will be held the final of the Champions League 2020? Lisbon, Frankfurt, Madrid, Moscow or Istanbul as planned? And in what format? Coronavirus health crisis requires, changes are inevitably expected. While Bild and AS have assured that UEFA will opt for a Final 8 (four quarters, two and a half and the final) in Lisbon, Portugal between August 12 and 23, Turkish Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu said on Thursday that Turkey is "confident" that the C1 final will take place as planned in Istanbul. "I have no doubt that this final will take place in the best possible way in Turkey," Mehmet Kasapoglu even revealed during an interview with the Turkish television channel.TRT Spor . We are confident that we will receive good news on June 17. ” Date (also June 18) on which the executive committee of the European body meets to decide on the final place of the final and the new possible format of the competition. Especially since the choice of host city for this final will also depend on the format chosen by UEFA to go to the end of the C1. Everything seems to be linked.
Istanbul still in the race?
Initially, the Champions League final was scheduled for May 30, at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. But the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced the stopping of the most prestigious European competition at the time of the round of last 16 (four games still to be played including Juventus Turin-Lyon), could therefore change everything. This is how the names of several cities, such as Lisbon, Frankfurt or Madrid, have circulated recently. If the Portuguese capital would take the helm to welcome this potential Final 8 in August, whose final could be held on August 23 (day of resumption of Ligue 1), with unique matches on neutral ground, it is because Portugal was rather spared by the epidemic and that there are two stadiums nearby (Luz stadium in Benfica Lisbon and José Alvalade stadium in Sporting Portugal). Without forgetting the tax advantages of the country and that no Portuguese club is among the last participants. However, Turkey is also doing well in terms of health. It officially registered 173,000 cases of coronavirus and 4,700 deaths, which is a much lower number of deaths compared to certain Western countries. And there is no Turkish team left in C1, which makes it possible to offer real neutral ground. What finally reassure UEFA, who would consider removing the final, and play the end of the competition in Istanbul? Response expected on June 17 and 18.
If this is not the case, Istanbul should recover the organization of a European final later as compensation. The Atatürk Olympic stadium had already hosted the final of the Champions League in 2005. And how to forget it since it was the historic final between Liverpool and AC Milan where Steven Gerard's Reds had returned to 3 -3 when they were led 3-0 at half time before winning on penalties (3-2).
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