UEFA, the governing body of European football, is making preparations for the possibility of relocating the 2023 Champions League final from Istanbul, Turkey, due to concerns over potential political unrest following the upcoming Turkish election. The election is expected to be closely contested, and there are worries that it could lead to unrest, prompting the need for the deployment of troops shortly before the major sporting event.
Although UEFA has declared that the final will occur in Istanbul, it has learned from recent experiences and is better prepared for such a situation after having to adjust plans for the last three seasons due to COVID-related concerns and political issues. For instance, the 2020 final was relocated to Lisbon, and the 2021 event was moved to Porto after twice being moved from Istanbul.
If the situation in Istanbul deteriorates, UEFA is unlikely to open a bidding process, given the proximity to the final. Instead, it will rely on contingency plans that have been put in place. The organisation is well-equipped to handle such situations, having had to adjust plans for the last three seasons.
The quarter-final second legs of the UEFA Champions League are scheduled to take place this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, rising concerns over political unrest in Turkey could see the Champions League final change venue for the third time in as many years, according to reports.
Despite the potential for political unrest, UEFA maintains that the final will still go ahead in Istanbul. However, it has contingency plans in place should a need arise. Istanbul was due to host the final twice in the last three years, but COVID concerns intervened on both occasions.
Last season’s clash between Liverpool and Real Madrid was slated to be played in St. Petersburg, but it was moved to Paris and the Stade de France after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sporting isolation. The match saw a bidding process to determine where the final would be played, although it is unlikely that a similar situation will arise this year given the shorter window of time between the election and the final.
President Erdogan is facing his biggest political challenge in more than two decades of leading Turkey. Recent polls show him trailing Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the candidate of the main opposition Nation Alliance. More than 64 million Turkish citizens, 3.4 million of them abroad, are registered to vote in the elections. Turkey has a total population of around 85 million, with at least 133,000 people affected by February’s devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey set to vote outside their hometowns.
In conclusion, UEFA is prepared for contingencies if political unrest following the Turkish election prompts the need to relocate the Champions League final from Istanbul. Although UEFA maintains that the final will occur in Istanbul, it has contingency plans in place should the situation deteriorate. The organisation is better equipped to handle such situations, having had to adjust plans for the last three seasons due to COVID-related concerns and political issues.
