NO football fan needs reminding the Champions League final is the biggest game in European club football.
And the iconic starred ball is synonymous with the competition – and will be on show in the final between Chelsea and Manchester City.
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But this year, due to the coronavirus crisis, the final has had to be moved just a few weeks before the final.
The 2021 final was due to take place in Turkish metropolis Istanbul, with the Ataturk Stadium poised to host the showpiece for a second time in 16 years.
The venue for the final is now Porto’s Estadio do Dragao.
Uefa have not had the time to change the branding on all their promotion material, which means ‘Istanbul 21’ is scrawled on the match ball and much of the branding for the final.
They have faced a similar headache with their Euro 2020 branding, which has kept its name, even though next month’s international tournament is being played 12 months later.
Uefa tend to change the Champions League ball every season and this year is certainly no exception.
This is actually the SECOND year that Istanbul has been snubbed for the final because of the Covid crisis, with last year’s ball featuring red and blue panels behind the iconic stars… before the final was played in Lisbon.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
