By Samindra Kunti in Kiev
May 24 – UEFA president Alexander Ceferin has remained tight-lipped about staging the Champions League final outside Europe, repeating that it is a ‘theoretical possibility.’ This week’s showpiece event in the Ukrainian capital has been a logistical nightmare, provoking renewed debate over which cities are suitable to host the showpiece game. The UEFA Executive Committee awarded the 2020 Champions League final to Istanbul.
Ceferin was speaking in Kiev after a UEFA exco meeting and before the Women’s Champions League final tonight between Lyon and Wolfsburg. The men’s Champions League final takes place Saturday and the city is starting to see fans gather.
Kiev – and Madrid next season – were not submitted to a bidding process in 2016 to stage the Champions League final. Last year Ceferin reformed the process, stopping cities from simply lobbying to be awarded the final. Decisions often had a political undertone, but the smaller host cities have on occasion struggled to deal with the organization of the final and the influx of fans.
Following a bidding process, UEFA awarded the hosting rights of the 2020 Champions League final to the Turkish capital, dashing the hopes Lisbon. Vienna will stage the women’s Champions League final, Gdansk the Europa League final and Porto the Super Cup.
Istanbul, the gateway to Asia, should have sufficient capacity and infrastructure to stage the final and the Turkish bid committee for the 2024 Euro hosting wasted no time in taking the opportunity to emphasise their credentials saying: “The choice of Istanbul is a strong demonstration by UEFA of its faith in Turkey to host exceptional, world-class events and adds to the country’s already significant hosting experience.”
The Atatürk Stadium previously hosted the 2005 final when Liverpool staged one of the great comebacks of the game, overcoming AC Milan 4-3.
In Kiev prices have sky-rocketed across the board. From hotel rates to flights, inflation has been widespread, pricing out plenty of fans, and even troubling sponsors. The reality is that there are only a dozen or so cities in Europe that can stage the climax of the continental season, without concerns over transport, accommodation, stadium size and other logistical capacity. In the past, UEFA has mooted the idea of staging the game outside of Europe, with New York and the Middle East as plausible hosts.
On Thursday Ceferin remained coy but did not rule out a Champions League final on a different continent as a possibility. “It is too early to say anything about that,” said the UEFA president. “I mentioned it as a theoretical possibility. For now it is just that and let’s see what happens in the future.”
“We have to know that the Champions Leagued is a global competition, watched by I think more people outside of Europe than in Europe altogether. So let’s see. I can’t give you a final answer.”
Ceferin did acknowledge one of the problems leading up to the final (and for Liverpool fans in particular) has been ticketing. Touts and the black market have thrived as English fans have gone to desperate lengths to attend the final. “It is a big problem that we know about,” said Ceferin. “It is everywhere and it has happened before. We cancelled the tickets that are found on the black market, but the thing is that I am not sure if it is possible to completely prevent that thing to happen.”
On Wednesday, Ceferin had blasted FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino in a speech delivered to the Council of European Union Sports Ministers in Brussels. The Slovenian decried Infantino’s plans to change world football with two new FIFA competitions and the injection of $25 billion by an investment fund, of which the backers remain unclear. He alleged that Infantino is ‘selling the soul of the game’.
In Kiev, Ceferin was somewhat more diplomatic in his comments when probed about his full-blown assault on Infantino. “It is a big difference between clubs and governing bodies,” said Ceferin. “A governing body has to develop football, has to distribute money and distribute the revenues generated properly. We are not paying out the profits, we are sharing the profits with our member associations and clubs. It’s a different situation.”
Ceferin also addressed the imbalances in the game during his speech in the European capital. The UEFA boss called on the EU to work together in bid to create a more level-playing field in the future, but stressed that his discussions with the powers-that-be in Brussels are just baby steps at this moment. “We presented the problems that we have and where we need their support,” explained Ceferin. “We started the discussions, but I can’t offer you any solutions for now. We just had a first meeting, a kind of a roundtable with all the ministers of sports of the European Union.”
“There are some things that we said that should be done, or at least discussed. For example, the free movement of the working force, is it the time to say that not just football players, but athletes, are an exemption? They should think about it, because harms the competitive balance if players, or young children from small clubs or small clubs leave very soon. Again it was just a discussion.”
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