Man City owner Sheikh Mansour will pay travel costs for the 6,000 fans that will be heading to Portugal for the Champions League final against Chelsea as the club promises to 'ease the financial pressure' on supporters after a 'challenging' period.
Cityzens have received an allocation of 6,000 fan tickets from UEFA for the May 29 UEFA Final showpiece against Chelsea in Porto.
The club noted that the additional costs - including Covid tests and inflated flight prices, would have made the tour to Portugal tough for most supporters who had passionately waited for the club's first ever Champions League finals.
A statement released by Man City read, “Cognisant of how the pandemic has affected all Manchester City supporters and has created an increase in travel costs, Sheikh Mansour has sought to remove the most significant financial barrier to fans attending the final.
“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 His Highness’ initiative will fund the transport of several thousand City fans on the official travel package on the day of the final.”The club statement narrated.
The action by the club owners triggered reactions from the City Manager and players who expressed their gratitude to their employers.
Pep Guardiola speaking at his post-match press conference in the wake of Tuesday 18 May, 3-2 loss at Brighton said that he and the City squad were hugely grateful for the ‘incredible gesture’ of owner HH Sheikh Mansour in pledging to fund the flight and transfer costs for the Official Club trip to the Champions League final in Porto.
The game was due to be played at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, but has been moved by UEFA after the UK government placed the country on its ‘red list’.
Cityzens will be looking forward to writing a club history record by lifting their first ever Champions league trophy in Portugal's Capital on May 29 against their fellow Premier League rivals Chelsea.