Up to 1,000 Italy fans to be flown to UK for Euro 2020 final
Italy’s footballers have been granted a boost after Uefa struck a deal to allow up to 1,000 fans to travel to London for the Euro 2020 final at Wembley on Sunday.
Uefa, European football’s governing body, has secured approval from the government to allow a maximum of 1,000 supporters to attend the game, subject to conditions.
Lucky ticket-holders will be able to avoid quarantine on their arrival in the UK so they can enjoy the historic match on Sunday night.
However, they will only be allowed on British soil for 12 hours and will have to stay in a secure bubble by using charter flights and dedicated transport to get to and from the airport and stadium.
This will be organised by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) at the cost of €610 (£524) per person, while inside Wembley a special section will be created to keep travelling fans separate.
Fans will also have to provide negative Covid tests before and after the journey and they will have to self-isolate for five days on their return to Italy.
It comes after the government relaxed quarantine rules to allow thousands of football VIPs to attend the semifinals and finals in London.
The move has sparked anger among some MPs — especially at a time when holidays are effectively banned due to quarantine rules for all but a handful of countries.