Fears over Champions League final fan safety with chiefs concerned over violence in the streets in Istanbul
UEFA chiefs have more than just their fingers crossed that the Champions League final in Istanbul will go off smoothly.
Nyon bosses are due to outline their official future steps later this week.
The Champions League final will be played in Istanbul on June 10AFP
It comes in the aftermath of last season’s chaos in Paris.
And Manchester City fans who booked flights in expectation of a semi-final win over Real Madrid could be walking into a precarious situation in Turkey for reasons outside of football.
Hardline president Recep Erdogan is in a brutal re-election fight with rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu before a first round of voting on May 14.
Unless either gets more than 50 per cent of the vote there will then be a decisive second round two weeks later.
That is less than a fortnight before the European football showpiece event in the Ataturk Stadium on June 10.
And there are fears that a tight result at the polls could see people on the streets and potential violence.
The prospect of travelling fans being caught in Turkey’s domestic strains is causing significant concerns among Uefa’s top brass.
The European governing body is also having to deal with disappointed VIPs and sponsors.
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The Ataturk only has 12 top-of-the-range “Sky Boxes” at the stadium.
But ensuring the “ordinary” fan is safe is a bigger issue.
The Ataturk Stadium will host the biggest club match in European footballGetty
