The Champions League final, one of sport’s most-watched annual events, will not be held at its planned site, Istanbul, amid the ongoing crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
European soccer’s governing body UEFA, the event’s organizer, is now considering a number of alternative venues as it plans to complete the competition, which was part way through its round of 16 stage when — like most other sporting events — it paused indefinitely.
Now with national leagues starting to emerge to complete their seasons, UEFA is concluding talks on how to finish the Champions League and its secondary Europa League in August. The Europa League final had been set to be held in Gdansk, Poland. A decision will be made after a meeting of the executive committee on June 17, said the person, who declined to speak publicly because talks on the alternative sites are ongoing.
UEFA will hold further talks with Turkish officials next week, to finalize an agreement to move the event. Istanbul could be picked to host the final at a later date.
