As the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 reaches to it's conclusions, The Road to Istanbul might not actually led to Istanbul. With two English Clubs in the form of Manchester City and Chelsea set to compete in the final, the venue of the final is in doubts as the UK Government has placed Turkey in the "Red List" of travel.
The Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul was originally scheduled to host the 2019-20 Champions League Final. Due to COVID-19, the venue was shifted for the next year. However Turkey has now been added in the red list of travel meaning, anyone who travels there must quarantine for 10 days upon returning.
With the Final set to be played on May 29, a ten day quarantine period might rule out players from joining their respective national teams as the UEFA Euros are set to kick off from June 11. Earlier the UEFA had allocated around entry for around 25,000 fans to attend the final with 4,000 each from the two clubs.
Villa Park, the home ground of Aston Villa has stepped up as an alternative venue for the final. The stadium hosted the 2012 Community Shield Final between Chelsea and Man City which saw City beat them 3-2.
However according to UEFA standards, Villa Park does not fit the criteria to host the final. Another alternative suggested is the Wembley Stadium. The problem in Wembley arises is that, the Championship Playoff Final is set to hosted on the same day.
No official word has been released by UEFA, but given current circumstances, it is very unlikely that the final will be played in Istanbul. UEFA and the FIFA are currently working with the FA in regards to the matter.
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