April 6 – After being empty for more than year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Wembley will welcome 8,000 fans for this month’s League Cup final between holders Manchester City, who are going for a unique quadruple of trophies, and Tottenham Hotspur.
The April 25 fixture is being used as a test event before the full return of fans to stadiums in order “collect evidence and collate best practice for managing and mitigating transmission risk.”
The final was due to be played on February 28 but was pushed back in the hope that a later date would allow fans to attend.
The trial, to be run at nine events, will be used to assess whether large events can be held in closed settings without social distancing.
The FA Cup semi-final between Leicester City and Southampton a week earlier on April 18 will be allowed to host an audience of 4,000 mainly local residents, while a crowd of 21,000 will be permitted for the final on May 15.
Rick Parry, chairman of the English Football League which runs the League Cup, currently sponsored by Carabao, commented: “The Carabao Cup is a prized asset of the EFL, a great competition for clubs to win and always a fantastic occasion so we are absolutely delighted to see supporters back for the 2021 final, in what will hopefully be another important milestone along the way to a full return of fans.”
The pilot events at Wembley are particularly important in terms of this summer’s European Championship, with seven games including the semi-finals and final , due to be staged at the stadium.
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