Delicate negotiations going on about Champions League final venue


Sport

Delicate negotiations are going on about where the Champions League soccer final should be played, senior British minister Michael Gove said on Sunday.

FILE PHOTO: Champions League Semi-Final Draw

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – Champions League Semi-Final Draw – Nyon, Switzerland – April 13, 2018 General view of the UEFA logo before the draw REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

LONDON: Delicate negotiations are going on about where the Champions League soccer final should be played, senior British minister Michael Gove said on Sunday.

The final, scheduled for May 29, will be between two English clubs, Manchester City and Chelsea. It was due to be played in Istanbul but that was thrown into doubt after the British government placed Turkey on its travel red list, making it all but impossible for British fans to attend.

“There are delicate negotiations that are going on at the moment,” Gove said on Sky News when asked about where the final should take place.

“My friend, my colleague the culture secretary Oliver Dowden (also the minister for sport) is talking to people about this at the moment, and so I don’t want to cut across that. But I’m sure that fans in the UK would dearly love to see the final played here in the UK.”

(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Toby Chopra)