THIS season’s Europa League has reached the semi-final stage – and we could be set for an all-Premier League final.
Manchester United and Arsenal are still in the competition, taking on Roma and Villarreal over two legs for a place in the showdown.
But with Covid restrictions still in force across much of Europe, will fans be able to attend the final if either make it?
When is the Europa League final?
- This season’s final will be held on Wednesday, May 26.
- The kick-off time is yet to be announced, but is expected to be 8pm BST.
Where is the match being held?
The Gdansk Stadium in Poland will host the showpiece.
It has an official capacity of 41,000 and is home to Polish side Lechia Gdansk.
Last year’s final was due to be held at the venue, but was moved due to the pandemic.
Will fans be able to attend?
UEFA and Polish authorities are working together in the hope of welcoming up to 10,000 fans to the stadium on May 26.
That would represent a quarter of capacity in the Gdansk Arena.
Currently, the earliest possible date for foreign travel to resume for people in the UK is after May 17.
But even if the current steps on the roadmap are met, the next stumbling block could be the government’s ‘traffic light’ system for entering certain countries.
Countries will be designated a colour of either red, amber or green, which will determine quarantine requirements on return to the UK.
According to Sky Sports, each team could be allocated 1,900 tickets for the match.
There are also reports that clubs could organise bubble packages for their fanbase, which would include flights, tickets and then buses to and from the airport.
Uefa appear keen to make sure that tickets will be available and fans return to the terraces for their biggest two matches of the season.
A statement on Uefa’s website reads: “The UEFA Europa League™ Final 2021 will take place in Gdańsk, Poland in the Gdańsk Stadium on Wednesday, 26 May 2021.
“Information about the ticket sales for this match (availability of tickets, application deadline, ticket prices, etc.) should be communicated early May 2021.
“More details will follow in due course.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
