EFL Cup: Spectators attending Manchester City-Tottenham final required to produce negative COVID-19 test

London: Supporters wishing to attend the English League Cup final on 25 April between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will need to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test within 24 hours of the match.

City and Tottenham will each be given 2,000 tickets for the game at Wembley, which is being used as a test event for the return of fans to stadiums.

A total crowd of 8,000 will be allowed to attend with the other 50 percent of tickets going to local residents near Wembley and National Health Service staff.

However, the decision to not allow any fans under 18 to attend and tell people who are clinically extremely vulnerable or pregnant not to apply for tickets has been labelled as "direct discrimination" by a Tottenham disabled fans' group.

SpursAbility said in a statement: "The policy adopted for this match is a direct discrimination toward many disabled supporters.

"Some of our supporters have been shielding for over 12 months and have seen this match as an opportunity to return to some form of normal lifestyle.

"The match is allowing only 8,000 spectators in an outdoor stadium with a capacity of 90,000 — less than nine percent of its potential. Yet there is a choice to exclude a small group of supporters who would need to disclose their classification on a voluntary basis."

To get into Wembley, fans must take a lateral flow coronavirus test at a designated site in the 24 hours before the game and produce evidence of a negative result.

They will also have to take two PCR tests at home. One before travelling to the match and another five days afterwards.

The FA Cup semi-final between Leicester and Southampton will on Sunday welcome in 4,000 spectators at Wembley but these will be a mixture of local residents and key workers.

"It’s the first step. If the government say we can do, it’s good news," said City manager Pep Guardiola on the return of supporters.

"Hopefully in the future it will return to normality, but at the same time, (we must) follow the instructions from the government and scientists."

The FA Cup final on 15 May is set to have 21,000 fans.

UEFA has been given a commitment by the British government that Wembley will host a minimum of 25 percent capacity (22,500) for England's three group games plus a last 16 match at Euro 2020.

That number could rise by the time both semi-finals and the final take place at Wembley in July.

Last week a number of leading British sporting governing bodies supported the use of a "vaccine passport" scheme to allow for the return of full capacities at stadiums.