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      UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin slams idea of staging World Cup every two years

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      UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin has slammed the idea of staging a World Cup every two years as “completely irrational”.Fifa Congress gave the go-ahead on Friday for a feasibility study to be conducted into holding the tournament more often than the current four-year cycle.
      Aleksander Ceferin has slammed the idea of staging a World Cup every two years
      But in an exclusive interview with SunSport, Uefa president Ceferin said: “FIFA can do a feasibility study about that but it’s impossible that the World Cup would happen every two years.
      “This would, from one point of view, cause a complete disruption of the calendar.
      “From the other point of view players would be exposed to injuries if they played a month-long tournament every second summer and will not have time to recover from the long season.
      “The idea to have the World Cup every two years is completely irrational.”
      The proposal to conduct a feasibility study into a biennial World Cup was made by the Saudi Arabia FA, close allies of Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
      The Saudis have already given financial and moral support to Infantino’s plans to expand Fifa’s Club World Cup.
      The Fifa chief has also been accused by La Liga boss Javier Tebas and others of secretly backing and encouraging the failed European Super League.

      Documents suggest the ESL plotters believed they had Fifa backing for their plans and at least one senior Fifa official attended a meeting about it.
      Something doesn’t add up and Ceferin said: “He [Infantino] guaranteed to me that neither he nor any of his people was present at any meetings with the Super League, that he didn’t know anything about it.
      “Any Fifa president who supported a project like that, he or she could not be Fifa president anymore.
      “I got a promise from his side.“We spoke over the phone. He said, ‘Ah, interesting, I haven’t heard about this project for quite a while’.
      “I have to believe Fifa, that they are not behind it.
      “A crazy project like that will never happen again.”
      France lifted the World Cup trophy for the second time in 20 years in 2018
      Florentino Perez (left) and Aleksander Ceferin (right) were at war over the ESL
      To a lot of people, holding the World Cup every two years looks like another crazy project.
      But it’s all part of the ongoing power struggle between Fifa and Uefa, and Infantino and Ceferin.
      For now the Uefa president’s priority is successfully staging the delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
      Ceferin remains hopeful Wembley will welcome at least 22,500 fans to matches during Euro 2020, despite concerns about the spread of the Indian variant.
      It remains to be seen whether Wembley will be able to welcome even more fans for the semi finals and final.
      Ceferin, who will hold a phone conference with Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and government officials in early June, said: “If we’ve learned anything from this Covid situation, it is that things can change daily.
      Let’s see how things go, but I’m optimistic.
      “We are talking about July [for the semi finals and final].
      “We hope by then the majority of people will be vaccinated. We have to be careful of course.
      “We will discuss it with them, we will see what they say. The decision about it is not up to the governing bodies but the governments and local authorities.
      “I think we will have spectators as planned and hopefully even more.”
      Ceferin also defended Uefa’s decision to stage the rescheduled tournament in 11 different venues during a pandemic.
      He said: “I have to rely on my team from Uefa Events.
      “They said that it was simply impossible to change it because we invested so much into these countries.
      It would be financially impossible to do it, and logistically as well, probably.
      “Our health protocols are really strict.
      We have played 1,300 Uefa international matches since the pandemic started and 98.5 per cent without any problems.
      “I think we have to bring hope with football. We have to start, slowly, living a normal life.“We cannot just say we don’t do anything.”
      UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin attacks Big Six English clubs for wanting to join European Super League More

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      Uefa chief Ceferin rejects Gary Neville call for regulator and says losing League Cup wouldn’t kill English football

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      GARY NEVILLE and Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin agree on the basics.But their visions of how to stop future Super League projects and give football a more sustainable future are very different.
      Aleksander Ceferin does not back Gary Neville’s plan
      Player-turned-pundit Neville and more than 100,000 fans who signed a parliamentary petition reckon English football needs an independent regulator to defend its traditions and values.
      But Ceferin believes the game can and should be left to govern itself – and English football must play its part in devising Europe-wide solutions to long-running problems.
      Ceferin, a lawyer by profession, is catching his breath after “a crazy three weeks”.
      No sooner had Uefa seen off the ESL than it had to move the Champions League Final from Istanbul for the second year in a row, in order to allow Chelsea and Manchester City fans to attend.
      But while he is willing to see both sides of most arguments, Ceferin has strong views on outside regulation being forced on football, in England or anywhere else.
      He said: “I don’t think there’s a need to change the way football is run. Especially I don’t think that governments should interfere.
      “When there are ideas of an independent body governing football, it’s just a matter of time before the level of independence of those bodies will be questioned. 
      “The most important thing is that we strengthen the pyramid, that we create the regulations we didn’t have so that projects like that cannot happen again.”Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is NOT taking his hat off to Uefa’s plans to expand the Champions League
      Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is NOT taking his hat off to Uefa’s plans to expand the Champions LeagueCredit: AFP

      Neville was not alone in calling for severe punishments, including points deductions and competition bans, for England’s Big Six.
      Instead, the Premier League clubs, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Inter have escaped with modest financial penalties and threats of massive fines if they try it again.
      Ceferin said: “I don’t think it’s right to say who, but I spoke with two or three of the owners of the six English clubs.
      “They said they completely misjudged the situation, they know it was a big mistake and they know there has to be a sanction because of that.
      “I’m sure they will not do it again. They learned their lesson. That’s enough for me. I’m not on a crusade to punish them forever.”
      But it will be strange next Saturday to watch Chelsea and Manchester City trying to win a trophy they were prepared to ditch just weeks ago.
      Especially after City were only able to reach the final after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a two-year ban for breaking FFP rules.
      Ceferin said: “I disagree with their decision and was for sure disappointed.
      “But I’ve learned as a trial lawyer in Slovenia that some cases you win that you were sure you would lose, and some you lose that you thought you would win.” 
      So much for the past, what about the future?
      Managers like Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, players like City’s Ilkay Gundogan and fans of all clubs are also united in opposition to Uefa’s plans to revamp the Champions League from 2024.
      Earlier this month, supporters told Ceferin at a virtual meeting they did not want any more CL games, let alone the 100 extra proposed, because of the impact on the English calendar and competitions like the League Cup..
      Ceferin said: “You like traditions very much, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have to modernise from time to time.
      “I don’t want to get into how. But I don’t think that all the spirit of English football would be gone if you had one cup less.”
      Plans to award CL places on the basis of past European competition performance are also unpopular.
      Ceferin says Uefa must explain better why the Swiss-style league format and the new qualification criteria will create a better and fairer Champions League.
      He is willing to tweak the proposals, but football authorities in England and elsewhere must also be willing to compromise.
      Angry fans protest outside Stamford Bridge over the European Super LeagueCredit: Getty
      A Chelsea fan famously protested against the ESL with a placard reading: “We want our cold nights in Stoke.”
      Which club’s ground in Ceferin’s native Slovenia would be the equivalent of the Bet365 Stadium on a Tuesday night in February?
      Ceferin laughed: “Maybe FK Aluminij. They have a small stand that’s not covered. It’s cold up there.”
      But Aluminij, like all the clubs in Slovenia’s top flight, receive about £85,000 per year in TV rights revenue, compared to £100m for each Premier League club.
      And that’s why, Ceferin says, initiatives like the new third-tier Europa Conference League, regarded as a booby prize by some Premier League managers, are important.
      Ceferin said: “It is a serious competition.
      “Clubs like Tottenham or Roma could be in it. Top teams will play in the semi finals and final.
      “If English clubs play well in the Conference League, they will earn points that could help them play in the Champions League in the future.
      “If we want to work on saving the pyramid of football – and football is not about England only – clubs in smaller countries need more international matches.
      “They will improve, they will get more sponsors, more money from broadcasting rights, because they can play against a team from the Premier League or La Liga.”
      Neville wants an independent regulator to help to re-set the balance between rich and poor in English football.
      But Ceferin says everyone must work together for the benefit of the whole European game in the post-pandemic, post-ESL era.
      The Uefa president said: “The good that Covid has done is that we are all discussing all the topics.
      “You have to work on the whole ecosystem of European football. If we do something, but the Premier League, La Liga and the others don’t, then we don’t achieve much.
      “We should calm down now and put things in place for the future which ensure that football becomes even more sustainable.”
      Gary Neville gives impassioned rant about greedy Big 6 and The European Super League More

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      FA bosses hope fans smash attendance records at Women’s 2022 Euros in England

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      FOOTBALL chiefs want fans to break the European record for the highest crowd numbers at the opening and closing games of a women’s Euros tournament. The targets were revealed as part of FA and UEFA plans to flog more than 700,000 tickets for Women 2022 Euros games taking place in England. 
      Wembley is set to host the final of the 2022 Women’s EurosCredit: Getty
      Football bosses hope to sell more than 700,000 tickets to Women’s 2022 Euros games in EnglandCredit: Reuters
      It is hoped spectators will pack out Old Trafford for the tournament’s opener surpassing a milestone of 41,301 set in 2013. 
      Authorities also aim to smash the European attendance number for a final at the contest’s finale at Wembley. 
      They hope to see spectator numbers for that clash surpass the figure of the 80,203 who watched the USA defeat Japan in the women’s football final of the London 2012 Olympic games. 
      Tickets for next year’s Women’s Euros will be priced from £5 to £50 with over half a million available for £25 or less.
      However, the FA say England group stage matches and quarter-finals and semis fixtures will be priced differently but were tight-lipped as to what the pricing for these games will be. 
      Chris Bryant, the FA’s tournament delivery head said: “This is all about setting out our ticket ambitions for the tournament. 
      “We want to deliver a record breaking showcase that unites football and communities to amplify the women’s game.
      “Our ambition really is centred around for stadia, fantastic atmospheres. And we really need a ticketing strategy that embodies that”
      Fixtures for the Women’s 2022 Euros games are due to take place in 10 venues in nine host cities in England. 
      Games will be held in Brighton, London, Milton Keynes, Rotherham, Sheffield, Southampton, Trafford and Wigan and Leigh.
      Tournament organisers hope the sport’s followers will flock to buy tickets for games involving 16 teams including host nation England.  
       Fans are being invited to pre-register for tickets on Uefa’s web site July 13.
      Northern Ireland are among 16 nations taking part in the tournamentCredit: PA

      Officials say there are plans to use the Euros to create a legacy project to encourage 120,000 girls to take up football in the tournament’s host cities.  
      And the FA hopes the to produce 350 newly-trained coaches and 350 new referees through the scheme.  
      FA women’s football director Baroness Sue Campbell said: “It has been a challenging year in so many ways, with mental and physical wellbeing hugely affected by the Covid pandemic. 
      “The tournament and the city legacy programmes are a real opportunity to positively change the impact restrictions have had on our activity levels and to bring us together through football.
      The FA hopes to encourage more than 80,000 fans to attend the final of the Women’s 2022 EurosCredit: Getty
      “The long-term legacy ambitions will unlock the game for more women and girls across host cities and beyond with equal access for all girls to play football in school and clubs. 
      “Our vision will ensure an inclusive, safe and welcoming environments for every woman and girl to play competitive or recreational grassroots football – irrespective of ability, age or ambition.”
      With Covid having hit fan presence at football stadiums with up to 10,000 currently allowed into grounds, the FA says it will have a contingency plan place if the pandemic causes attendance problems next year. 
      Bryant added: “We’ve already got an ambitious ticketing target and we want to make sure that we give ourselves every opportunity to hit those milestones if we can,
      “We need to be able to work back from the in the event that the pandemic is still around and it does require us to adapt. 
      “We are considering all the contingency plans that are available to us.”
      Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Tickets for Women’s Euros will be priced from £5 to £50 with up to half a million available for £25 or lessCredit: Alamy Live News
      Lionesses in training More

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      Chelsea boss Hayes promises Blues bounceback from heavy Champions League final loss to Barcelona

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      EMMA HAYES paid a touching tribute to Chelsea fans and vowed her beaten Blues will bounce back from Champions League heartbreak.And the Kingsmeadow boss described her team’s loss to Barcelona as another step in their journey after revealing her players’ post-match chat with club owner Roman Abramovich. 
      Emma Hayes says Chelsea will work hard on the training pitch after losing their first Champions League final clashCredit: Getty
      Barcelona Women won their first Women’s Champions League trophy after losing 4-1 to Lyon in the 2019 finalCredit: AFP
      Chelsea succumbed to a 4-0 defeat to Spain’s title winners in their first final in Europe’s elite club contest.
      And Hayes believes the performance of her side – who face Everton in the Women’s FA Cup – did not reflect the physical edge  of the WSL.
      Hayes said: “I think the physicality in our league that we have, we didn’t show that. So we’re disappointed. 
      “The realities are, if you don’t dominate enough of the first and second balls in any football match,  you don’t deserve to win it, and I don’t think we did that.
      “I think that’s what our dressing is most upset about. 
      “We’re a classy team and we behave I think as you should do when you’ve been beaten by a better team and that’s one that acknowledges what we need to do to improve. 
      “Our owner came in to see us. All the girls were very quick to tell him we’ll be back here and we’ll work hard on the training pitch to make sure we do that. 
      “If I know this group well enough I know they mean these words. 
      “And this is just another step in our journey, because – we talk about the disappointment – but we’re the second best team in Europe.”
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      Chelsea will face Everton in the Women’s FA Cup fifth round in their final game of the seasonCredit: PA
      Hayes’ players told Blues owner Roman Abramovich they plan to reach another Champions League finalCredit: AP

      Barcelona made history by being crowned as Spain’s first Women’s Champions League winners two years on from a 4-1 finals drubbing they endured against Lyon. 
      And the club’s victory entailed some standout displays including impressive wing play by Caroline Graham Hansen and Lieke Martens. 
      We wanted to be European champions and now we can say that we areLluis Cortes
      The result was the highlight of an outstanding season for the Lluis Cortes’s Catalan side who retained their LaLiga Women’s Crown
      And the Blaugranes did so after winning all 26 games they have played in Spain’s top tier with a match against ninth-placed Athletic up next.
      Lieke Martens and her Barca team-mates have won the LaLiga Women’s title as well as the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty

      Asisat Oshoala and her Barca team-mates will play Athletic in Spain’s top tier nextCredit: Getty
      Barca boss Cortes said: “It’s incredible, in Budapest last time (when we lost 4-1 to Lyon) we were like Chelsea were. 
      “There has been a lot of work since that day. That day we promised ourselves we would work a lot to be European champions. 
      “Behind us, there are many, many people and everyone has worked really hard for this goal. 
      “We wanted to be European champions and now we can say that we are.”
      Lluis Cortes says Barca have been working hard to achieve their first major trophy win in Europe.Credit: Getty
      Emma Hayes responds to Chelsea’s devastating 4-0 loss to Barcelona More

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      Chelsea out to make history and join Arsenal as only English Women’s Champions League winners

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      ARSENAL are still the ONLY English club to have carved its name on to the Women’s Champions League trophy.And my name is written in the history books for scoring the winner in the final against Swedish side Umea in 2007.
      Emma Hayes wants to lead Chelsea to Champions League gloryCredit: Getty
      Alex Scott scored the winner in the 2007 Champions League finalCredit: Getty
      We went in as total underdogs not expected to win the competition that was then known as the Uefa Women’s Cup.
      The clock was ticking in the dying seconds of the game when the ball fell to me from far outside the box.
      With the scores stubbornly locked at 0-0 I knew what I had to do.
      I took a touch, looked up and sent a sweet, long-range strike dipping and curling beyond the Umea goalkeeper.
      There was stunned silence before I realised what had happened as mayhem ensued on the Arsenal bench.
      It was the only goal over the two legs and of course my name made all the headlines.
      But it was the WHOLE team and our hero goalkeeper Emma Byrne who propelled the club to European glory.
      It was never about one player,   which the game never should be.
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      Years later when  I bitterly watched the Germans lift the European Championship trophy in 2013, Hope Powell gave me some pearls of wisdom.
      After England were spanked in the group stages the Lionesses boss told me: “Remember this feeling because you’ll never want to experience it again.”
      Those words of wisdom should be etched in every Chelsea player’s mind today as they go toe-to-toe with Barcelona in their first Champions League final.
      They’ve tasted defeat on the European stage after they crashed out in the semi-finals to Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.
      Every one of those Blues aces deserves to be at the Gamla Ullevi stadium in Sweden tonight.
      But I don’t want them to be the ones with their heads hanging in shame while Barca lift the trophy.
      Boss Emma Hayes will not rest on her laurels and she’s got one last hurdle to make history.
      When Chelsea made Pernille Harder the most expensive player in the history of women’s football in 2020, it was a real statement of intent.
      The final between Chelsea and Barcelona will take place in Gothenburg’s Gamla Ullevi stadiumCredit: EPA

      They had just won the WSL for a third time and the Continental Cup for the first time.
      Hayes had every domestic trophy in her cabinet – and her sights were set on that elusive European stage.
      Cue Harder, who put the Blues 4-3 up on aggregate against Bayern in the dying moments of the Champions League semi-final second leg, before Fran Kirby secured victory in stoppage-time.
      Blues may have broken the bank for the Denmark star but that winning strike was priceless.
      You could tell by the emotion on Hayes’ face.
      But keeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who joined in January 2019, has also been crucial in the quest for a European trophy.
      Harder, Sam Kerr and Kirby will get all the plaudits but Berger has been sensational.
      Every single one of those Chelsea players has had key moments to get them on the brink of toasting Champions League glory tonight.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Chelsea release 1960s inspired home kit for 2021-22 season More

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      Chelsea and Man City furious as they can only watch Champions League final if they fly to Portugal and back on SAME day

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      FURIOUS Chelsea and Manchester City fans have slammed Uefa “clowns” after their Champions League final travel plans were plunged into chaos.Just hours after Uefa finally confirmed 6,000 fans of each club will be able to attend the May 29 showpiece, the Portuguese Government demolished the travel plans hundreds of supporters had already made.
      The Champions League final will be held in Porto’s Estadio do Dragao – but supporters will have to fly in and out of Portugal on the SAME day
      Supporters of both Chelsea and Man City are furious with the announcementCredit: Getty
      Both club’s supporters were told they will ONLY be allowed to travel to the final if they fly in AND out of Portugal the same day.
      Chelsea season-ticket holder Dave Johnstone had to cancel trips to Istanbul and Lisbon — but now Porto is in the balance.
      He said: “I know of at least 80 fans in the same position but it probably runs into the hundreds.
      “It’s the supporters who are being punished.
      “People like me aren’t bothered where it gets played.”
      Johnstone, who follows Thomas Tuchel’s team home and away, added: “We have done our best to get cheap flights, get time off work and get the money together.”
      That came as Uefa, run by Aleksander Ceferin, won a drawn-out battle to ensure the capacity for the game was raised from 10,000 to around 20,000 — with 6,000 tickets for both clubs.
      Ian Cheeseman, head of the Forever Blue podcast,  added: “I’m just so sorry for the Man City fans who are left in this horrible situation. It’s just not fair.”
      Chelsea and Man City do battle for football’s biggest prize on May 29
      As supporters planned their journeys, they were hit by a hammer blow struck by Portuguese Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva.
      She said: “Those who come to the final of the Champions League will come and return on the same day, with a test done, in a bubble situation, on charter flights.
      “There will be two fan zones and from there they will be moved to the  stadium and from the  stadium to the airport, being in Portugal less than 24 hours.”
      Asked whether the measures also referred to fans arriving in the city earlier in the week, the minister added: “Obviously those coming by plane to be in Porto while the match is on but do not actually go the stadium will comply with the established rules and security measures will be put in place as happened in Lisbon last year.”
      It was a shock development for supporters and Uefa, whose President Aleksander Ceferin had earlier hailed the outcome.
      Ceferin, who met virtually with fan groups representing both teams on Wednesday, said: “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 work.”
      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.”
      But all those plans have been thrown up in the air, although there is no possibility of the game being switched again, to Wembley as initially planned.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Porto to host Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea More

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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.

      What happens now the European Super League has collapsed More

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      Uefa ready to switch Champions League final from Istanbul to Wembley with 22,500 Chelsea and Man City fans in attendance

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      UEFA chiefs are ready to shift the Champions League final to WEMBLEY.But only if the UK Government can give them a set of guarantees.
      Uefa chiefs are ready to move the Champions League final between Chelsea and Man City to WembleyCredit: Reuters
      SunSport revealed the personal plea from Boris Johnson to Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin after Turkey was placed on the Government’s red list.
      That would mean travellers would be required to quarantine for ten days on their return to the UK.
      Uefa are understood to be sympathetic and agree that, in the circumstances of a Covid wave in Turkey, not asking Chelsea and Manchester City fans to travel makes sense.
      But Uefa has ruled out grounds including Tottenham, Newcastle, Arsenal and Aston Villa.
      The governing body is also not considering Hampden Park or the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
      Euro bosses signalled that Wembley – with a capacity of 22,500 until the middle of June – is the only suitable venue.
      While there is growing momentum, a series of issues must be overcome.
      The first would be for the EFL and FA to agree to shift or reschedule the Championship play-off final, also due to be played on May 29.
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      Chelsea and Man City could now go head-to-head at Wembley rather than in IstanbulCredit: EPA

      That could either be moved or brought forward by 48 hours, allowing both Chelsea and City to train at Wembley on the day before the Champions League final.
      But Uefa is also seeking absolute guarantees from the Government that all media, broadcasters, sponsors and VIPs will be allowed to attend without quarantine issues.
      In addition, Uefa will ask the clubs who were involved in this season’s competition to give up part of their prize money to meet the estimated £20million-plus costs already incurred by the Turkish authorities ahead of the planned game at the Ataturk in Istanbul.
      A final decision is expected to come early this week.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Champions League final chaos for Chelsea and Man City fans as Turkey added to UK travel red list More