Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has refused to rule out playing the Champions League final outside of Europe. With an on-going debate as to the suitability of some cities – notably this season’s venue, Kiev – to stage the event Ceferin said it was a “theoretical possibility” of playing the final in, for example, New York or the Middle East where travel times can be the same as crossing Europe and no more expensive.
If it does consider the move Uefa is likely to first experiment with the Super Cup which is played by the Champions League and Europa League winners.
Kiev has proved a logistical – and, given the ruinous cost of travel and accommodation – financial nightmare for supporters, as Uefa has privately conceded.
Speaking in Kiev, after the Uefa Exco meeting, which awarded the 2020 final to Istanbul, ahead of Lisbon, Ceferin said of taking the showpiece outside of Europe, which he has mooted before: “It is too early to say anything about that. I mentioned it as a theoretical possibility. For now it is just that and let’s see what happens in the future.
“We have to know that the Champions League is a global competition, watched by I think more people outside of Europe than in Europe altogether. So let’s see. I can’t give you a final answer.”
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