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      Chelsea ace Harder says playing in Champions League final alongside partner Eriksson is a ‘dream’

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      PERNILLE HARDER says vying for Champions League glory alongside her partner Magda Eriksson is a dream come true. The inspirational Chelsea couple hope to win their first European trophy by helping the Blues topple Barcelona in Sweden. 
      Pernille Harder would love to see Magda Eriksson lift the Champions League trophy if Chelsea beat BarcelonaCredit: Getty
      Blues skipper Eriksson hopes to lead Chelsea to their first European trophy winCredit: PA
      The Denmark superstar and Blues captain Eriksson –  who are popular role models in the LGBTQ community – became a couple whilst playing for  Swedish outfit Linkoping in 2014.
      And Harder will be aiming to triumph in a Blues vest having twice suffered defeat in the 2018 and 2020 finals with former club Wolfsburg. 
      Harder, 28, said: “We talked about it the other day.
      “If we would have thought six years ago when we were at Linkoping that we would eventually play a Champions League final together, this would have been the biggest dream for us.  
      “And now we get to do it and it’s amazing. The biggest thing would be to see Magda lift the trophy. That would be a very proud moment for her and me also.
       “On and off the pitch, no matter what we are competing in, we both have a winning mentality.
      “It’s not the end if we win the Champions League this season, because we want to win the title and the Champions League again. 
      “For me it’s about the memories and feelings that football brings. 
      “The good thing is that we are super honest with each other on the pitch and we always leave football stuff on the pitch when the game is done.” 
      Eriksson, Harder and their Chelsea team-mates won the 2020-21 WSL titleCredit: Prime Media

      All eyes will be on the WSL champs fearsome attacking trio of Fran Kirby, Sam Kerr and Harder who have netted 13 times in the contest so far.
      Against Bayern Munich, in the semi-finals, Harder demonstrated why Chelsea broke the women’s football transfer record to sign her from Wolfsburg for £250,000 in September 2020. 
      The midfielder’s bullet header helped Chelsea demolish Bayern 4-1 in a dramatic second leg battle.
      And the Uefa Women’s Player of the Year says the pressure of being the world’s most expensive women’s signing is something she takes in her stride. 
      Harder added: “Everyone thinks you can do everything on the pitch when you have that price. 
      “It puts some pressure, or some expectations at least. 
      “But handling expectations is something I’ve been working with in the last five or six years.
      “I knew how to handle it and to focus on my game and adapt to the team.” 
      Harder’s semi-final bullet header against Bayern Munich helped Chelsea reach their first Women’s Champions League finalCredit: Getty
      Emma Hayes’ aces will face a Barcelona side who stormed their way to a sixth domestic league title following a 26-game unbeaten run and a tally of 126 goals. 
      The teams will go head-to-head in the Gamla Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, the home of Sweden’s women’s team whose players include Blues skipper Eriksson.
      And Harder is confident Chelsea – who won their fourth WSL title – can defeat the queens of the women’s game in Spain. 
      It will be a tough game for sure, but we are also a great team so I think it will be a good finalPernille Harder
      The Dane ace was part of the Wolfsburg side that knocked Barca out in 2020.
      The Blues star said: “I played against them last year and I think they did really good. They have a lot of great players and are a good possession team. 
      “It will be a tough game for sure, but we are also a great team so I think it will be a good final.”
      Harder reckons the quality and depth of Chelsea’s squad has been one of the biggest advantages for the team who have won a league cup and WSL title this term
      And the Denmark midfielder – who is her country’s joint all-time top scorer with 65 international goals – said she had been monitoring Chelsea’s progress for a long period before joining the side.
      Harder added: “I’ve been following the team for a long time. Obviously, with Magda playing here, I saw the development of the team. 
      “I felt like it was so interesting to see what happens, and I just felt like I wanted to be a part of it, and also be in the English league. 
      Chelsea may have to contend with ex-Arsenal aces Asisat Oshoala and Vicky Losada when they play BarcelonaCredit: EPA
      “That was what mostly was my motivation to come to Chelsea, but obviously I’d also heard a lot about Emma. 
      “Even though sometimes in games we might not have played the best football, we always find a way to win. 
      “That’s because we have so many players who can be the game-changer. 
      “If someone has a bad day, there is someone else who is stepping up. That’s really something, I think, that has made us come so far this season.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Emma Hayes and her players hope to win the quadrupleCredit: PA
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      Uefa confirm Champions League final will now take place in Porto with Chelsea and Man City allowed 6,000 fans EACH

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      CHELSEA and Manchester City will each have 6,000 fans at the Champions League Final after Uefa finally confirmed the match has been switched to Portugal.After nearly a week of negotiations, Euro chiefs announced the game would be moved from Istanbul as a result of the latest Covid wave in Turkey.
      Chelsea and City will each have 6,000 fans at the Champions League Final after UefaCredit: AP
      Uefa finally confirmed the match has been switched to PortugalCredit: Andy Hooper-The Daily Mail
      Uefa had hoped to move the game to Wembley but that plan was scuppered because of UK border regulation controls and the number of broadcasters, VIPs and guests required to have access to the game.
      But 48 hours of intensive negotiations with the Portuguese authorities were completed as Uefa confirmed Porto’s Estadio do Dragao will be the venue for European football’s showpiece event.
      As a result of fierce lobbying by Uefa, the Portuguese Government agreed to raise it’s initial 10 per cent stadium capacity cap to allow up to 20,000 inside the 50,000-capacity venue.
      And Uefa gave City and Chelsea supporters good news as it confirmed the allocations.
      Uefa said: “Staging the final in Istanbul would have meant none of the clubs’ domestic fans would be able to travel to the game.
      “After a year of fans being locked out of stadiums, Uefa thought that everything needed to be done to ensure the supporters of the two finalist teams could attend.
      “Uefa discussed moving the match to England but, despite exhaustive efforts on the part of the Football Association and the authorities, it was not possible to achieve the necessary exemptions from UK quarantine arrangements.
      “The Portuguese authorities and the FPF stepped in and worked quickly and seamlessly with UEFA to offer a fitting venue for the final.

      “As Portugal is a green list destination for England, fans and players attending the final will not have to quarantine on their return home.”
      Thanking the Portuguese authorities, and also the Turkish Government for allowing the istanbul Final to be moved for the second year running, Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin added: “After the year that fans have endured, it is not right that they don’t have the chance to watch their teams in the biggest game of the season.
      “Fans have had to suffer more than twelve months without the ability to see their teams live and reaching a Champions League final is the pinnacle of club football.
      “To deprive those supporters of the chance to see the match in person was not an option and I am delighted that this compromise has been found.
      “We accept that the decision of the British Government to place Turkey on the red list for travel was taken in good faith and in the best interests of protecting its citizens from the spread of the virus.
      “But it also presented us with a major challenge in staging a final featuring two English teams.
      “The difficulties of moving the final are great and the FA and the authorities made every effort to try to stage the match in England and I would like to thank them for their work in trying to make it happen.”
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      Chelsea and Man City fans could face Champions League final heartache with just 1,000 each set to be allowed to Portugal

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      THOUSANDS of Chelsea and Manchester City fans could get the green light to see the Champions League Final – if Uefa gets the Portuguese authorities to back down.Euro chiefs are ready to confirm the May 29 clash will be played at Porto’s Estadio do Dragao after failing to get agreement with the UK Government over guest and sponsor numbers being allowed into the country if the game was played at Wembley.
      Manchester City and Chelsea will battle for the Champions League trophy on May 29Credit: Reuters
      Porto’s Estadio do Dragao will host the Champions League finalCredit: Reuters
      But while Portugal will lift its nationwide ban on crowds for the final weekend of the domestic season on May 19, numbers will be capped at 10 per cent of capacity.
      With the Dragao holding a maximum of just over 50,000 fans, that would mean a mere 5,000 spectators for European football’s showpiece occasion.
      In turn, it would likely result in barely 1,000 fans of each of the two Premier League clubs being sold tickets, with others going to local spectators and the “Uefa family”.
      But Uefa is putting pressure on the Portuguese to allow up to 40 per cent of the Dragao capacity to be used.
      That would mean around 20,000 in Porto, with the two clubs each receiving between between 4,000 and 6,000 tickets.
      Such a number is far below the potential 9,000 per club allocation had the game been played at Wembley but still significantly better than if the cap remains at 10 per cent.
      Robert Lewandowski lifts the Champions League in 2020Credit: Reuters
      Fans’ groups from the two clubs met virtually with Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin to plead their case yesterday  ahead of the final decision, now expected today.
      Dom Rosso of the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust explained: “Uefa said it will ‘take care’ that supporters will be able to attend the final with priority given to Chelsea and Manchester City.
      “I emphasised that allocation/prices for loyal supporters must be reasonable and fair. 

      “Uefa confirmed that they must honour sponsor contracts and added that lots of football supporters (worldwide) will also want to attend and that this must be taken into account. 
      “The CST stated that sponsor allocations must be kept to a minimum.”
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      Thomas Tuchel claims ‘amazing’ Chelsea predecessor Frank Lampard ‘laid the foundations’ of his success with Blues

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      THOMAS TUCHEL has paid tribute to Frank Lampard for ‘laying the foundations’ for his successful start to life at Chelsea.Less than six months into the job, the German has already secured a pair of major cup finals for the Blues and a top-four finish is well within his grasp.
      Thomas Tuchel has praised the work of predecessor Frank LampardCredit: Andy Hooper-The Daily Mail
      Chelsea icon Frank Lampard was sacked from the dugout earlier this yearCredit: AFP
      Tuchel took over from Lampard in late January with the club ninth in the Premier League, five points off a Champions League place.
      But the Blues’ midfield legend had finished fourth last season despite a transfer ban, while bedding in an number of young players.
      And Lampard was credited by his successor with the groundwork that has led to a strong end to the campaign.
      Tuchel told reporters: “Frank had an amazing record in the group stage of the Champions League, won all the FA Cup games.
      “He’s laid the foundation to get us to finals and we don’t feel ashamed or have any fear to say that out loud. It felt like that on the first day.
      “I am aware Frank created his own legacy as a player and made it bigger as a coach.
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      “We stepped in halfway through the season and tried to fulfil the job he had begun.”
      The pair spoke couple of days after Lampard was replaced by the ex-Paris Saint-Germain boss, sending a message which Tuchel also praised.
      He added: “Frank resembles everything you think about Chelsea.
      “You think about Frank Lampard, the way he is, how he played football… This shows his character and the message he sent was a pleasure to receive.”
      Chelsea face Arsenal on Wednesday night knowing a win will put them on the verge of a guaranteed top-four finish.
      Tuchel has demanded his stars maintain their effort levels in the fixture despite the weekend’s FA Cup final sitting on the horizon, as well the Champions League showdown with Manchester City.

      The coach stated: “We are in the middle of the race for top four, we have two finals to come and you can only achieve it if you are on a consistently high level mentally and physically, with a good atmosphere, and this is what we try to keep now.
      “Nobody is allowed now to drop one per cent, because that’s what makes it special right now.
      “But now is not finished. It is not the time for praise, not the time for reflection, it is the time to continue and finish the job.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Man City vs Chelsea ref for Champions League final sent off Pep Guardiola after furious row during 2018 Liverpool loss

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      MANCHESTER CITY’S Champions League Final fate could rest in the hands of the referee who sent off Pep Guardiola the last time they met.Spaniard Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz left Guardiola seething when he wrongly disallowed a Leroy Sane ‘goal’ that would have seen City only 3-2 down on aggregate to Liverpool at half-time in their quarter-final second leg at The Etihad in 2018.
      Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz has been chosen to referee the Champions League FinalCredit: Getty
      The Spaniard left Pep Guardiola raging after he officiated them in the 2018 against LiverpoolCredit: REUTERS
      Sane was ruled offside but TV pictures showed the ball had fallen to the German from a deliberate touch by Liverpool’s James Milner and therefore should have stood.
      Guardiola, furious and incredulous on the touchline, launched into Lahoz as he made his way off the field at the interval.
      That saw the City boss shown the red card and banished from the bench.
      Guardiola insisted he had not insulted the referee and had been ‘polite and correct’, although he branded Lahoz, 44, ‘a special guy’ who ‘likes to be different’.
      The City chief said afterwards: “In the right moment we miss the right decisions.
      “The referee is a special guy, he likes to be different.
      “Whenever people see the things, he will decide the opposite.”
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      Uefa charged Guardiola for his conduct and he was given a one-match touchline ban with a further match ban suspended.
      But that was the only occasion in four City matches refereed by Lahoz that the Etihad side have lost.
      He was also in charge of wins over Napoli, Monaco and Dynamo Kiev.
      Lahoz, fourth official at Liverpool’s 2019 Final win over Spurs, has only taken charge of two Chelsea matches.
      Both of those were in Portugal, a 2-1 defeat for the Blues against Porto at the Estadio do Dragao that is likely to stage the Final and a 1-0 win at Sporting Lisbon.
      Clement Turpin of France will take charge of Manchester United’s Europa League Final against Villarreal in Gdansk on May 26.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus face two-year Champions League ban after Uefa launch probe into Super League plot

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      REAL MADRID, Barcelona and Juventus are facing two-year Champions League bans – after Uefa launched a formal disciplinary probe into the failed Super League plot.Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin is determined to make the three rebel leaders pay a heavy price unless they dissolve the breakaway competition.
      Uefa could hit Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona with two-year Champions League bans
      That means two-season bans from playing in any European competitions is on the Uefa agenda.
      And Ceferin demonstrated he is playing hardball by giving the green light to the next stage of Uefa processes.
      In a statement, Euro chiefs in Nyon announced: “In accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors have today been appointed to conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework by Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona and Juventus FC in connection with the so-called ‘Super League’ project.
      “Further information regarding this matter will be made available in due course.”
      That article relates to the absolute power and discretion of the Uefa President, general secretary or the ruling executive committee to launch disciplinary proceedings.
      The confirmation of action is proof of Ceferin’s desire to make the three rebel clubs publicly recant and apologise for their attempts to broker the elite ESL competition.
      Ceferin publicly welcomed the withdrawal and apologies by the Prem Big Six, along with Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Inter.
      They were hit on Friday by agreeing to each pay £1.44m up front and then five per cent of their next season’s Uefa competition earnings, taking the potential fine to £7m.

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      But there will be no further action and the nine clubs will be welcomed back into the Uefa fold and allowed to rejoin the European Club Association.
      Madrid, Barca and Juve, though, have refused to fall into line and accused Uefa of applying ‘unacceptable pressure, threats and offence’ to make them ‘abandon the project’.
      The trio said Uefa’s actions were ‘intolerable under the rule of law’ but the very real threat of missing out on more than £250m of income over two years may be enough to bring them to heel.

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      Champions League final close to being confirmed for Portugal as UK Government refuses to allow Uefa’s VIP guests attend

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      WEMBLEY’S hopes of staging the Champions League Final were fading fast as negotiations between Uefa and the Government remained at loggerheads.SunSport has reported how Euro chiefs have decided the clash between Chelsea and Manchester City on May 29 will be moved from Istanbul after Turkey was placed on the Government’s travel “red list”.
      Porto’s Estadio do Dragao is now tipped to host the Champions League finalCredit: Reuters
      UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had offered to host the May 29 showpiece but the government is reluctant to let in as many visitors and guests as Uefa wantsCredit: AP
      PM Boris Johnson offered to host the game in this country and Uefa chiefs identified Wembley as their preferred venue.
      But European football’s governing body’s requirement for relaxed border rules to allow nearly 2,000 overseas visitors and guests to attend the game have been the sticking point in discussions.
      Government and scientific chiefs are reluctant to allow so many into the country without quarantine requirements of some sort.
      The UK was ready to give the OK for some media and broadcast outlets as well as “essential Uefa personnel” to be allowed into the country.
      But the demands for access for sponsors and VIP guests – including football chiefs from around the world – appear to have proved a step too far.
      It means Uefa is close to confirming it will switch to its back-up option of Portugal, which hosted last season’s “final eight” tournament in Lisbon.
      But the Portuguese FA is proposing Porto’s Estadio do Dragao, with a full-house capacity of just 50,000, as its preferred stadium venue.
      Currently, fans are still barred from grounds in the country, although the rules are expected to be relaxed.
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      Yet it is believed the Dragao will be allowed to have just 25 per cent of its capacity, meaning fewer than 13,000 fans in total.
      That will potentially meaning just 3,500 supporters of both Chelsea and City allowed to travel to see the game, although Portugal’s “green list” status means they will not have to quarantine on their return.
      A final decision could come as early as this evening but unless there is a sudden shift from either Uefa or the Government it seems that the Wembley option – which would have seen an attendance of up to 22,500 – is increasingly unlikely to be adopted.
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      Thomas Tuchel says he trusts Uefa and Chelsea bosses to make right decision on where to stage Champions League final

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      THOMAS TUCHEL says he trusts Uefa and his Chelsea bosses to make the right decision on whether to stage the Champions League final in Istanbul.Blues boss Tuchel insists he will be happy to make the journey to Turkey later this month to face Man City despite fears over a Covid-19 outbreak which has forced the country into lockdown.
      Thomas Tuchel believes the right decision will be made regarding the Champions League final venueCredit: Getty
      The German claims it is not up to him whether the match should be switched to England to help protect safety of travelling fans.
      And he adds he has enough on his place to worry about managing the team.
      Tuchel said: “I didn’t know that there is an argument or like a discussion around it. Honestly I play wherever it’s played.
      “We should have played in Istanbul last season but it was not in Istanbul, it was in Portugal then, and now again the situation is pretty heavy in Turkey at the moment.
      “I think anything can change quite rapidly these day, so let’s be open. At the moment we prepare for the travels to Turkey.”
      Asked if he supported the match remaining in Turkey he added: “Support will mean that I get involved in this and I do not get involved in these discussions or thoughts.
      “I have enough to prepare myself and the team for the upcoming matches.
      “I have full trust in everybody who decides this that we do a reasonable decision. 
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      “And it was like this when we were not quite sure where we play against Porto in the first and second leg.
      “That’s why I trust all people here at Chelsea who are involved in this and all other people who decide what’s going to happen.
      “But in the moment I prepare for a final in Istanbul.”
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