Sheikh Mansour to cover fans’ travel costs to Champions League final

Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, is to pay the travel costs of the newly crowned English champions fans attending the Champions League final in Portugal later this month, the club announced on Tuesday.

City have received an allocation of 6,000 tickets for the May 29 showpiece against Chelsea in Porto and Sheikh Mansour has said all those travelling on the official package will see their costs covered.

Fans are permitted to stay in the country for just 24 hours -- subject to furnishing a negative coronavirus test -- due to Covid-19 protocol.

“Thousands of City supporters will benefit from the initiative which is designed to ease the financial pressure on fans who have faced – and are still facing – challenging circumstances due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” a club statement read.

“The COVID-19 inflated costs, combined with necessary but expensive PCR testing, would have rendered the trip to the final unmanageable for many of those supporters lucky enough to qualify for a ticket.

“Due to the necessary Covid related restrictions in place, the majority of fans wishing to attend the historic first final for the Club, are required to do so within a 24-hour trip, meaning that Sheikh Mansour’s initiative will fund the transport of several thousand City fans on the official travel package on the day of the final.”

Sheikh Mansour said the gesture was a reward to those fans who had stuck with the club through thick and thin.

“Pep (Guardiola the manager) and the team have had such a remarkable season and their reaching the Champions League Final after a very challenging year represents a truly historic moment for the Club,” he said in a statement.

“It is therefore incredibly important that as many fans as possible have the opportunity to attend this special game.

“Especially those who have supported Manchester City through good and bad times for so many years.”

Sheikh Mansour’s generosity will go down well with fans who were furious when the club signed up to the European Super League last month.

City withdrew like their five fellow Premier League clubs 48 hours later.

Guardiola  warns Aguero over Champions League final berth: Meanwhile, City manager Guardiola has warned Sergio Aguero there will be no room for sentiment when he picks his team for the Champions League final.

Aguero has announced he will leave City at the end of the season after 10 successful years with the Premier League champions.

The Argentina striker is City’s all-time record goalscorer, but he may not have a fairytale farewell at the end of an injury-ravaged campaign in which he has been limited to just 18 appearances.

Aguero will miss Tuesday’s match at Brighton with an adductor problem.

He could return for one last appearance at the Etihad Stadium against Everton on Sunday.

But Guardiola refused to give any guarantees the 32-year-old will feature in City’s first Champions League final on May 29.

“I would say I would be cold,” Guardiola said of his attitude towards selection. “I have to take a decision which is the best to win that game, so I have to be.

“If Sergio is fit he is going to help us, that is for sure, if he is going to help us score goals he is going to play, but it’s the final of the Champions League. I have to take the decision that gives us the best chance of winning that game.”

Guardiola suggested it would be a focused City side that faces Brighton, with places up for grabs in the final against Chelsea.

He admitted he can tell the difference around the club’s training ground as his players try to persuade him they deserve to start in Porto.

“They listen a little bit more,” he said. “It’s a serious point what you say: they’re not stupid. They want to play so they are nicer to me.”

Agence France-Presse