´Good solution´ – Portugal great Nuno Gomes backs Lisbon for Champions League finale

Lisbon is supposedly being considered as a potential location for all remaining 2019-20 Champions League matches and Portugal great Nuno Gomes believes the city would be a “good solution”.

The coronavirus pandemic brought top-level sport in Europe to a halt, with the final stages of the Champions League and Europa League pushed back indefinitely.

UEFA wants to complete both competitions once domestic leagues have been concluded, meaning the remaining fixtures could potentially resume in August.

Last week, reports began to emerge suggesting Istanbul would be unable to cover the cost of hosting the Champions League final without supporters being allowed to attend, and now UEFA are said to be considering alternative plans.

One apparent idea is for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final to be played at neutral venues in a single city and Lisbon is reportedly considered to be the strongest option, given Portugal’s low coronavirus infection rate and the facilities of Benfica and Sporting CP.

Gomes agrees Lisbon would be an effective host, telling Stats Perform News: “For us Portuguese, I believe it is a good thing.

“After a lot of meetings they [UEFA] understood it’s maybe better to do it in one place rather than everybody travelling around Europe.

“[Lisbon] is a good option, and I’m not sure if they already decided a final decision, but it’s true a lot of views and conversations are being held in order to maybe give Lisbon the final eight of the Champions League.

“I think it’s good for football to find a solution in order to finish the games that are missing because everybody is waiting for Champions League games.”

Both the Europa League and Champions League were suspended in March during the round-of-16.