Europa League: UEFA confirms up to 9,500 fans can watch final in Gdansk after approval from Polish authorities

Polish authorities have confirmed to UEFA a capacity of 25 per cent of the stadium will be permitted for final; teams will receive an allocation of 2,000 tickets each; Arsenal and Man Utd play their semi-final second leg ties against Villarreal and Roma respectively on Thursday

By Joe Tanner

Monday 3 May 2021 17:00, UK

UEFA has confirmed that up to 9,500 supporters will be allowed into the Energa Stadium in Gdansk, Poland to watch the Europa League final.

The venue in northern Poland, which has a capacity of 43,615, is expected to be around 25 per cent full for the final on May 26 after approval was granted from the country's authorities.

UEFA had previously indicated that "limited numbers" of fans would be present for the Champions League and Europa League finals despite the ongoing disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. A final decision on the number of supporters that will be present at the Champions League final in Istanbul on May 29 has yet to be confirmed.

Tickets are now on sale for the Europa League final and spectators who wish to attend the fixture will need to show proof of a negative coronavirus test or a Covid-19 vaccination.

The Polish Government said last week that from May 15 onwards, 25 per cent of a stadium's capacity can be opened up to fans, as coronavirus cases in the country fall. The country has recorded 2.8m cases and over 68,000 deaths from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

UEFA has said further information on access to the stadium will be made public in due course, and applicants for tickets will have to take part in a ballot process where they can purchase two tickets per person.

The two teams who reach the final will receive an allocation of 2,000 tickets each, while 2,000 have initially been made available for the general public.

A statement from European football's governing body read: "The Polish authorities have confirmed to UEFA a capacity of 25 per cent of the stadium or up to 9,500 spectators [will be present for the final].

"Supporters from abroad will have to comply with border entry restrictions and requirements that will be in force at the time of the final as no exemptions will be granted to ticket holders.

"Access to the stadium will be granted in line with the applicable local legislation, which is to be confirmed by the local authorities during this week and may include the need for proof of a vaccine or a negative COVID-19 test result.

"UEFA will reimburse the full price of the ticket to successful buyers, should a reduction to the stadium capacity be announced by the local authorities at a later stage.

"For the sales process on UEFA.com, tickets will not be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead, a ballot will be conducted to allocate the tickets once the application period has ended.

"As usual, fans and the general public are being allocated the majority of the tickets for the finals."

Under current coronavirus restrictions, foreign travel from the UK is not permitted until May 19.

Two English sides remain in this season's Europa League. Manchester United go into their second leg semi-final tie having dispatched Roma 6-2 at Old Trafford last Thursday, while Arsenal are 2-1 down to Villarreal ahead of the sides' reverse clash at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday.

United could add to their 2017 triumph where they beat Ajax 2-0 in Stockholm to win the Europa League for the first time, while Arsenal will be looking to redeem themselves after losing to Chelsea in the 2019 final.

In the Champions League semi-finals, Manchester City hold a 2-1 lead over Paris Saint-Germain prior to Tuesday's clash at the Etihad Stadium and Chelsea face Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge Wednesday with the game poised at 1-1.

If both sides progress, it would be the second all-English final in three years after Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid two years ago.

This season's Champions League final takes place at the 76,092-capacity Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.

The venue, at which Liverpool beat AC Milan in 2005's final, was originally due to host last year's showpiece before it was rescheduled to be played at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, where Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain.