EFL hopeful Carabao Cup final on April 25 will have up to 8,000 fans in attendance as pilot event; Manchester City play Tottenham in 2020/21 Carabao Cup final; decision could be made over fans' attendance by next week
Thursday 25 March 2021 09:25, UK
The EFL is remaining hopeful the Carabao Cup final at Wembley will be given the green light to be a test event for fans.
Plans are being made which could see up to 8,000 spectators could be in attendance for the April 25 final between Tottenham and Manchester City.
It is believed the crowd will be made up of fans of both clubs with tickets also made available to local residents.
The DCMS and EFL say an agreement on fans attending has yet to be made although Sky Sports News understands a decision could be made as soon as next week.
An EFL spokesperson said: "The EFL notes the continued speculation in respect of whether supporters - and in what number - will be in attendance at the Carabao Cup final next month.
"It has always been our intention to be able to see supporters back at Wembley Stadium for this game and this was the sole rationale behind moving it from its February date.
"Despite continuing positive discussions with the relevant stakeholders and authorities we do not have any confirmation as to what will be permitted as part of any potential test event at this stage and felt it important to clarify the position out of courtesy to the two participating clubs and particularly their supporters.
"We remain hopeful of achieving a successful conclusion and will advise on the outcome in due course."
In December, the EFL moved the Carabao Cup final from February 28 to April 25 to give it the best chance of having supporters inside Wembley.
The FA is very keen to have fans back inside Wembley with the Euros starting just four weeks after the FA Cup final, which has also been put forward as a pilot event.
Wembley is due to host seven matches including all three of England's group games, a last-16 clash, both semi-finals, and the final.
Having supporters inside Wembley for the FA Cup final is seen as a key indicator of whether empty stadiums can be avoided for the upcoming tournament matches.
UEFA is due to make a decision next month on how and where the Euros will be staged.
From May 17, indoor sporting events will be capped at 50 per cent capacity or 1,000, whichever is lower, and for outdoor events this will be 50 per cent capacity or 4,000, whichever is lower.
Larger outdoor seated venues such as football stadiums will be allowed up to 10,000 people or be a quarter full, whichever is lower.
The proposals rule out the possibility of fans attending any further regular-season matches in the EFL, but it would mean the final weekend of the Premier League season, set to be played on Sunday, May 23, could potentially be played in front of a limited number of fans.
