Turkey will host Champions League final in August - federation chairman

Two months ago UEFA indefinitely postponed the final, which had been scheduled to be played in Istanbul in May.

Turkish Football Federation chairman Nihat Ozdemir also said Turkey's domestic league would resume from June 12 and aims to complete the season on July 26.

The schedule would involve seven weekend games and one weekday match. Teams will play their matches in their own cities and own stadiums, he said, adding that no consideration had been given to playing matches in a single city.

"God willing, we will complete our own leagues at the end of July. We will hand over our cups on the pitch and then we will cap the season off by hosting the UEFA Champions League final in August," Ozdemir told a televised news conference.

This is best-case scenario stuff but it could happen. It is a rather bullish and robust statement to make at this stage of the pandemic – Turkey clearly feel ready but there are a whole host of factors that need considering first. Primarily, domestic seasons must be completed without a hitch – that is a big factor – and there is absolutely no guarantee that that will play out. If – and only if – that happens will Turkey and UEFA be in a position to consider hosting the final? Perhaps, but...

Further, UEFA need to decide on how the existing ties will be played out before the final. Will the rest of the tournament follow the traditional set-up? Or will neutral venues come into play? One-legged ties? How will PSG fare considering their league has been cancelled? Turkey might very well be more than ready to host the Champions League final in August but will football be ready? That’s the big if.