In just under a week’s time the world of football will know which two teams have made it through to the Champions League final.
At present, Internazionale hold a two-goal lead over eternal rivals Milan, whilst Manchester City and Real Madrid played out a 1-1 draw in their semi-final first leg.
The final is due to take place at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul on June 10, though it appears there could be a late change to the venue for the third time in recent memory.
The venue was supposed to host the final in both 2020 and 2021, but on both occasions this had to be revised because of the Covid pandemic.
In 2020 Benfica’s Stadium of Light in Lisbon had the honour of hosting the showpiece, whilst in 2021, Portuguese rivals, Porto, saw their Estadio do Dragao given the nod.
According to the Daily Mail, the former may well be utilised once again this year, though Covid has nothing to do with it on this occasion. It would appear that potential civil unrest in the region could force a re-think.
At this late stage any decision to move is unlikely to sit well with supporters of the clubs left in the tournament.
In order to get ahead of the curve, it’s never a surprise to learn that fans might consider booking up flights and accommodation early in order to save money.
However, a late switch would render those plans moribund, and make a once-in-a-lifetime trip financially unworkable.