Man City vs. Chelsea Champions League final ‘set to move from Istanbul to Wembley’

Uefa, the UK Government and the English Football Association (FA) were holding talks today to discuss the possibility of moving the Champions League final from the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul to Wembley in London. 

Manchester City will face Chelsea in the final of European football’s biggest club competition on Saturday 29 May, but the UK’s decision to place Turkey on the travel “red list” has thrown Uefa’s plans “into chaos”, The Times says. However, European football chiefs are prepared to move the all-English final to Wembley and a decision is expected to be made in the “next 24 to 48 hours”.

The English Football League (EFL) play-off finals are also scheduled for the same weekend at Wembley, but it’s understood that the EFL is open to moving the play-off games to alternative venues or different dates, Sky Sports reports. 

It’s not just the Chelsea men’s team who are on the trophy hunt. After beating Reading 5-0 yesterday the Blues secured the FA Women’s Super League (WSL) title, finishing two points clear of Man City. 

Having won the FA Women’s Continental League Cup and now the WSL, Chelsea will look to add two more trophies to their haul this season. Emma Hayes’s side play Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League final in Gothenburg on Sunday 16 May and are at home to Everton in the Women’s FA Cup fifth round on Thursday 20 May.

There’s only 74 days until the opening ceremony is held for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, but preparations for the mega sporting event have suffered another setback, The Guardian reports. According to a poll published by the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, 59% of Japanese people want the games cancelled compared to 39% who want the event to go ahead. 

Meanwhile, a separate poll by TBS News found that 65% wanted the games cancelled or postponed again, with 37% voting to scrap the event altogether and 28% calling for another delay.

Rory McIlroy ended a 19-month trophy drought by winning the Wells Fargo Championship yesterday - the third time in his career that he has triumphed in the tournament at Quail Hollow. 

The Northern Irishman, 32, revealed that had he not teed off in the afternoon in the first round on Thursday a neck injury would have forced him to withdraw from the event.    

“If I had been playing Thursday morning, I would have withdrawn, but I had enough time to get treatment Thursday morning, get it loosened up,” McIlroy said. “I was on the range on Wednesday and I hit a three‑iron, flushed it and as I turned back to talk to Harry [Diamond, his caddie], the left side of my neck just completely locked up and I couldn’t move it.”

Filip Hrgovic has backed Anthony Joshua to beat Tyson Fury should the all-British heavyweight unification bout get the go-ahead. 

Speaking to Sky Sports, Croatian heavyweight Hrgovic said: “A lot of people are writing off Joshua and are giving Fury the advantage because of their last performances. [They say] Joshua has slowed down. But in my opinion Joshua has more tools to beat him. He is the bigger puncher, he throws more combinations, he is good with the jab and fast with his feet, he is better at inside-fighting. Fury has his awkward style but that’s all he has. Joshua is the more complete fighter. I give a little edge to Joshua.”

IBF, WBA and WBO champion Joshua and WBC title holder Fury are in the “final stages” of agreeing a deal and promoter Eddie Hearn insists that “this fight is on, this fight is happening”.