Porto will host the Champions League final on May 29, with UEFA confirming the clash between Premier League sides Manchester City and Chelsea has been moved from Istanbul.
The Turkish city had been slated to host the 2020 final, before the coronavirus pandemic led to the closing stages of the tournament being moved to Lisbon and played as one-off matches last August.
Rising COVID-19 cases in Istanbul mean UEFA has again looked to Portugal, with Estadio do Dragao now the host venue for the meeting between newly-crowned English champions City and FA Cup finalists Chelsea, who are in the European showpiece for a third time.
Turkey was placed on the UK government's travel 'red list' last week, making the Ataturk Stadium an impractical venue, with fans told they should not be travelling to such destinations and players and staff would have had to isolate in a government-approved hotel upon their return.
Euro 2020 and the Copa America each starting on June 11 would have made that element particularly problematic.
UEFA on Thursday announced the change of venue and revealed both clubs will be given 6,000 tickets for the showpiece and they will be on sale immediately.
Portugal is on the UK's 'green list', meaning there will be no need for fans or players to quarantine afterwards.
UEFA discussed moving the match to England but it was not possible to achieve the necessary exemptions from UK quarantine arrangements.
Aleksander Ceferin, the UEFA president, said: “I think we can all agree that we hope never to experience a year like the one we have just endured.
"Fans have had to suffer more than twelve months without the ability to see their teams live and reaching a Champions League final is the pinnacle of club football. To deprive those supporters of the chance to see the match in person was not an option and I am delighted that this compromise has been found.
"After the year that fans have endured, it is not right that they don't have the chance to watch their teams in the biggest game of the season.
"Once again we have turned to our friends in Portugal to help both UEFA and the Champions League and I am, as always, very grateful to the FPF and the Portuguese Government for agreeing to stage the match at such short notice.
"They have worked tirelessly in very tight time constraints in finding solutions for the many challenges that hosting a game of this magnitude presents. Whenever there has been an obstacle, they have been creative in the solutions presented and the success of staging this year’s final is entirely down to their hard work and persistence.
"We accept that the decision of the British Government to place Turkey on the red list for travel was taken in good faith and in the best interests of protecting its citizens from the spread of the virus but it also presented us with a major challenge in staging a final featuring two English teams.
"The difficulties of moving the final are great and the FA and the authorities made every effort to try to stage the match in England and I would like to thank them for their work in trying to make it happen.
"The Turkish football federation and the Turkish authorities have recognised the UEFA's efforts to give fans of the competing clubs a chance to watch the game.
"The Turkish Football Federation and the authorities have always been reliable partners of UEFA and Turkey has hosted many UEFA events over the years with great success. I hope to be in Istanbul and Turkey for a Champions League final and many other events in the near future.
"I hope the final will be a symbol of hope at the re-emergence of Europe from a difficult period and that the fans who travel to the game will once again be able to lend their voices to showcase this final as the best in club football.."
Charlie Adam ‘gutted’ after Posh loss leaves Fleetwood on brink of relegation
Fleetwood boss Charlie Adam admitted his side were masters of their own downfall after being left on the brink of relegation from League One following a 4-1 defeat at Peterborough.
The Cod Army are facing up to a future in League Two after being left six points from safety with just two games to go.
They only have themselves to blame after Promise Omochere and Bosun Lawal both missed penalties before Adam’s men were put to the sword by play-off bound Posh.
Lawal fired Fleetwood ahead after just 13 seconds and then earned the ninth-minute penalty that Omochere saw saved by Posh keeper Jed Steer.
Malik Mothersille fired Posh level with his first English Football League goal and the game was still in the balance when Lawal was denied from the spot by Steer with 15 minutes to go.
Posh then took command with Archie Collins’ 81st-minute strike being followed by a stoppage-time brace from substitute Jonson Clarke-Harris.
Adam admitted: “I’m gutted for the players and supporters. That performance did not deserve that result.
“To come here and show the character that we did, I’m really proud of the players, but we walk away extremely disappointed.
“We had the perfect start, but when you get big moments in games you have to take them and we have missed two penalties.
“The two lads stepped up and were brave enough to take them, but unfortunately for us they missed them.
“The dressing room is quiet and flat. Of course it’s going to be as we’re in a position we don’t want to be.
“We have to win two games and see where we are at the end of the season.
“The lads will be off tomorrow, we’ll come back in Thursday and prepare as we always do. The challenge is to finish on two positive results to take into next season.”
Peterborough are six points off the automatic-promotion spots with a game in hand.
Boss Darren Ferguson said: “Starting the game in the way we did – conceding a goal like that without even touching the ball – is bordering on the unprofessional.
“I never felt comfortable throughout the game, but we managed to get the reaction we wanted from Saturday by winning the game.
“If I was Charlie I would be really disappointed with the two penalties as they’ve both been pretty comfortable saves for Jed. It was a case of getting out of jail really for us.
“Jonno came on, set one up and scored two; Jed made the two penalty saves; Malik came in and scored so there were positives for sure, but there are things we have to tidy up.
“We’re in the play-offs now and another point secures us being at home in the second leg.
“Second place is obviously Derby’s to throw away but football works in many strange ways and they still need a win.”
PSG and Borussia Dortmund win thrilling Champions League quarter-finals
Kylian Mbappe struck twice as Paris St Germain capitalised on the dismissal of Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo to qualify for the Champions League semi-finals with a 4-1 win in the second leg.
Barcelona ran out at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys armed with a 3-2 triumph from their first meeting in Paris and when Raphinha capitalised on Lamine Yamal’s skilful approach work to fire the opener, they had sight of the last four.
But a setback came in the 29th minute when defender Araujo was sent off for tripping winger Bradley Barcola on the edge of the area, VAR confirming the on-field decision for a red card.
The pressure built on the home goal and PSG hit back through Ousmane Dembele in the 40th minute before Vitinha drilled the French champions into the lead on the night.
Barcelona’s frustration extended to their manager Xavi, who was sent off for kicking some water bottles, and the Spanish club’s misery was complete when Mbappe was on target from the penalty spot before adding a late second for a 6-4 aggregate win.
PSG will face Borussia Dortmund in the penultimate round after the German club overturned a 2-1 deficit from the first leg to topple Atletico Madrid 5-4 on aggregate.
In another pulsating quarter-final, Dortmund went 2-0 up through Julian Brandt and Ian Maatsen before a Mats Hummels own goal and Angel Correa’s strike levelled the score.
Atletico were in the driving seat but the hosts responded magnificently with Niclas Fullkrug and Marcel Sabitzer hitting the target to ignite celebrations at the Westfalenstadion.
Michael Skubala proud of Lincoln performance in win at Oxford
Lincoln boss Michael Skubala labelled as “unbelievable” his team’s crucial 1-0 win at Oxford.
The Imps kept their season alive with a resolute defensive performance and a victory thanks to Danny Mandroiu’s 47th-minute penalty after Ruben Rodrigues was adjudged to have fouled Ben House.
The win enabled Lincoln to leapfrog Blackpool into seventh place in League One, just two points behind Oxford with two games to go.
Skubala said: “We were unbelievable – we have a special group here. We played for the shirt, you could see that.
“I can’t really pick anyone out, we were collectively fantastic and I’m just so proud of them.
“We said to them before the start ‘let’s just keep it alive and then see what the pressure might do’ and we’ve done that.
“We knew we couldn’t come here and dominate the ball, Oxford have some very good players.
“But we thought we could catch them on the counter and hurt them and the players carried out the game plan to perfection.
“It was a great penalty from Danny Mandroiu. He was as cool as ice.
“The way we ran the clock down was perfect.”
Lincoln’s win came despite losing Reeco Hackett in only the fifth minute to a bad arm injury.
They also had substitute Dylan Duffy sent off for a second yellow card in the 83rd minute, when he fouled Marcus Browne, but the 10 men held out.
Oxford manager Des Buckingham was unhappy with the penalty award.
He said: “I’ve watched it back and it’s as clear as day…. Ruben Rodrigues won the ball.
“So, yes, I’ve got complaints about the penalty because it’s a key moment and in the end that’s what has decided the outcome of the game.
“I think we played well enough, especially in the first half, to feel we should have won the game – we created a couple of big opportunities.
“If we keep presenting opportunities like the ones to Tyler Goodrham and Mark Harris I’m sure they’ll take them.
“But we’d scored 13 goals in the last three games, maybe we had used up our share.
“We’re in a strong position with two games to go. So I’m not going to stand here and keep moaning about the penalty – we’ve just got to refocus for Stevenage at home on Friday night.
“I’m disappointed the performance here hasn’t given us the result because we definitely deserved to get something from this game.”
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