It’s the UEFA Champions’ league final today – an all-English affair, which is taking place in Porto.

Fewer than three weeks ago, it had been decided to switch the event from Istanbul because Turkey is on the UK’s travel ‘red list’.

So, let me get this straight.

In the midst of a pandemic when this Indian mutant variant is gathering momentum, somebody thought it would be a smart idea to not only hold an international sporting event with fans but to have it on a scale that would necessitate some concentrated, voluminous foreign travel for UK citizens.

If they know why they couldn’t have held the final at an English ground, nobody is telling.

It could be that the UEFA soccergarchs are as thick as turd, but let’s be clear – football is a money game, and these cats are elite pros when it comes to sucking up wonga.

Having it on the continent will provide a shot in the arm for an ailing European economy with any COVID risk for the UK being the UK’s problem. Moreover, greenbacks held on European soil are much more susceptible to the good old skimmerooney. Nobody does a few grand ‘off the top’ like a UEFA don.

So now, 12,000 English fans will be departing our shores en bloc for a shindig in borderless Schengen. Let’s hope that B.1.1.7 respects European values and will not have abused the freedom of movement privilege. Viruses should of course have the freedom to work and to fall in love wherever.

12,000 people though. That’s a lot of feet on the ground, which presumably will be returning to all corners of our green and pleasant land.

I should think that they will be sharing airborne particles with their hosts and, by extension, those of people with whom their hosts have closely cavorted.

It must feel like a kick in the teeth for the citizens of Glasgow, many of whom still remain under the cosh of oppressive state control.

You couldn’t make it up, and while that might appear to be what they are doing – indeed, as they are going along – it all has a clear objective.

Shedloads of cash with little consequence.

Just how they like it.