Champions League Final | Istanbul or could it be moved?

[SebastianBlue]

Agree completely. It's a piss-take if they let fans book travel and then change it.

Then again, I don't think fans are high on UEFAs agenda...

Not a chance UEFA will be thinking about the fans. The won’t care that fans have already spent hundreds on travel plans.

But it would be a piss take to have the final in the midst of a brewing civil war, as well. Fans aren’t served well that way, either.

And, to be honest, it’s not like the unrest in Turkey is a big surprise; it’s been building since long before we looked to be potentially getting to the final.

Anyone that booked travel and accommodations should have known the risk and so takes on a lot of the responsibility if the final is moved.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

But it would be a piss take to have the final on the midst of a brewing civil war, as well. Fans aren’t served well that way, either.

And, to be honest, it’s not like the unrest in Turkey is a big surprise; it’s been building since long before we looked to be potentially getting to the final.

Anyone that booked travel and accommodations should have known the risk and so takes on a lot of the responsibility if the final is moved.

Not hearing the usual suspects droning on about Erdogan's terrible human rights record and suggesting that football finals should not be awarded to Turkey. The media has a very selective consicence when it comes to human rights. It is the usual shit show from UEFA. Why should we expect anything different? Fans' safety is always their last priority. But, after the chaos in Paris, you would have thought they would have learned their lesson.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

But it would be a piss take to have the final in the midst of a brewing civil war, as well. Fans aren’t served well that way, either.

And, to be honest, it’s not like the unrest in Turkey is a big surprise; it’s been building since long before we looked to be potentially getting to the final.

Anyone that booked travel and accommodations should have known the risk and so takes on a lot of the responsibility if the final is moved.

Lisbon would be good anyway. We could get there just in time to see criminal hacker Rui Pinto get sent down by the LIsbon courts (expected early June apparently). If we win the Cup it could be a double celebration in front of the UEFA pigs!

 

[SebastianBlue]

Not hearing the usual suspects droning on about Erdogan's terrible human rights record and suggesting that football finals should not be awarded to Turkey. The media has a very selective consicence when it comes to human rights. It is the usual shit show from UEFA. Why should we expect anything different? Fans' safety is always their last priority. But, after the chaos in Paris, you would have thought they would have learned their lesson.

Well, not that I like defending UEFA—and agree on the lack of human rights concern being rather telling—but it’s only in Istanbul this year because it was moved last year due to COVID.

And until fairly recently, Istanbul was a prime location for finals (and tourism, in general). I have been and loved it, especially as an architecture aficionado.

Erdogan has unfortunately changed Turkey’s trajectory to self-destruction, with the last 18 months being especially bad, and now UEFA are scrambling.

Maybe they should have stripped them of the final sooner, I can get behind that argument, but they didn’t, and the risks to it have been apparent for months (especially since the earthquakes).

Any fan shouting “this is a piss take” because the final may be moved at this point is being disingenuous.

 

[Big Pussy Bonpensiero]

Anyone that booked travel and accommodations should have known the risk and so takes on a lot of the responsibility if the final is moved.

This point is fair until you realise 10x1000’s should and will be doing the same Tuesday and Wednesday night and will be facing the exact same problem as those who took the chance and pre booked it.

It’s totally unfair on the match day fan to wait and see what happens after the election. People won’t be able to afford it. I’ve no problem UEFA moving it to a safer location but it should be done before Tuesday if there’s the slightest corner in UEFA over safety.

 

[Pablo ZZZ Peroni]

Lisbon would be good anyway. We could get there just in time to see criminal hacker Rui Pinto get sent down by the LIsbon courts (expected early June apparently). If we win the Cup it could be a double celebration in front of the UEFA pigs!

New date for Pinto verdict is 13th July.

 

[SebastianBlue]

This point is fair until you realise 10x1000’s should and will be doing the same Tuesday and Wednesday night and will be facing the exact same problem as those who took the chance and pre booked it.

It’s totally unfair on the match day fan to wait and see what happens after the election. People won’t be able to afford it. I’ve no problem UEFA moving it to a safer location but it should be done before Tuesday if there’s the slightest corner in UEFA over safety.

What is the alternative at this point?

Keep it in a city with massive protests and soldiers and tanks on the streets (if that happens, of course)?

I can get behind the arguments that all of this should have been avoided. We all know UEFA are corrupt and incompetent in equal measures.

But any arguments that fans didn’t know the risks when booking ahead (or waiting to book) fall flat for the reasons I have already explored.

This is not a shocking development; the writing has been on the wall for a long, long time.

 

[Originals]

This point is fair until you realise 10x1000’s should and will be doing the same Tuesday and Wednesday night and will be facing the exact same problem as those who took the chance and pre booked it.

I bet plenty of Inter Milan fans booked after winning 2-0. Difficult one as its either book early or wait and pay loads if we win on Wednesday.

Its caused more of an issue now as if we win Wednesday do people book Istanbul or not? No good for anyone this.

 

[Big Pussy Bonpensiero]

What is the alternative at this point?

Keep it in a city with massive protests and soldiers and tanks on the streets (if that happens, of course)?

The alternative is as I’ve stated. If UEFA are even remotely worried about safety over there, move the final to a different location BEFORE Tuesday. That way no fan can complain because no team has made it to the final yet. Those who took a chance and pre booked (me included) knew when we booked it we could lose out.

An absolute joke shop not to change it before Tuesday but change it a week or fortnight out from the final when the teams are known and fans have made plans.

 

[SebastianBlue]

The alternative is as I’ve stated. If UEFA are even remotely worried about safety over there, move the final to a different location BEFORE Tuesday. That way no fan can complain because no team has made it to the final yet. Those who took a chance and pre booked (me included) knew when we booked it we could lose out.

An absolute joke shop not to change it before Tuesday but change it a week or fortnight out from the final when the teams are known and fans have made plans.

That much we agree on. My post was about it being disingenuous for fans that pre-booked to call it a piss take at this point.

Again, we can debate what UEFA should have done before now (and I will generally agree it should have been taken away from Istanbul last year), but the risks to the final have been apparent for months (and everyone knows UEFA are corrupt and incompetent), so absolutely no one should be surprised about that is happening now.

And if you are surprised by all of this, you really should not be travelling (anywhere).