If you are a soccer fan, you certainly will be aware that Dublin was recently chosen as the venue city for the 40th UEFA Cup Final! The match to decide the destination of the glittering prize for one of the two main European football trophies will be hosted at the brand new Aviva Stadium (formerly Lansdowne Road) in Dublin during May 2011. Read on for more…
It was confirmed to the world’s media at the end of January 2009 that Dublin City Council and the Football Association of Ireland had succeeded in their bid to host the 2011 UEFA Cup Final event at the brand new 50,000 capacity all seater Aviva Stadium, which is based on the site of the old Lansdowne Road Ground. Lansdowne Road has been the home of Irish Rugby and Soccer for over a century. The IRFU and the FAI with the help of a €191m investment from the Irish Government have overseen the design of the magnificently refurbished stadium, which is due to be officially opened in April 2010.
Presently known as the UEFA Cup Tournament, this is the second most important club European soccer tournament; only the Champions League generates more revenue and spectator interest. The UEFA Cup is going to be rebranded in Summer 2009 for the 2009-10 season; it will be then known as the Europa League. Qualifying for the Europa League is open to European clubs who finish in the places just below the Champions League qualifying places in their respective league tables over a season of games. Previous winners of the UEFA Cup include the likes of Liverpool, FC Porto, Inter Milan, Valencia, Seville and Zenit Saint Petersburg, the current titleholders.
Hosting a European soccer tournament will be a huge fillip for soccer in Ireland, and also a huge boost for tourism numbers in Dublin, if analyzing past data. It is estimated that host cities for the UEFA Cup Final have garnered revenues of over €30m for the local economy through the holding of the match. Television audiences have been known to hit viewership totals of 40 million. It is of great credit to the Irish Bidding Committee (FAI, Government and Dublin City Council) in their winning the bid for hosting the final day of the Europa League 2011, against the toughest of competition throughout the European football world.
Being the host city for the final game of a European tournament is of major importance to Ireland, and a great boost for the economy, especially in these trying economic times. Being the host city for the 40th UEFA Cup final will focus the attention of the football world on Dublin and the brand new Aviva Stadium, as well as providing huge visitor numbers to the city.
Find out more about the new Aviva Stadium.
And remember that if you are in Dublin for a day or two before the big game, you can check out some of the city’s top attractions! And the final day atmosphere in Dublin’s pubs will be hugely entertaining, so be prepared to soak up the match day banter!
Demand is going to be huge around the time of May 2011 for Accommodation in Dublin, so it is important to book and plan well in advance of your visit to Dublin. For a full list of Accommodation in the city and county check out our Dublin Accommodation page.
Have you stayed in Dublin before and browsed through the city’s many attractions? What did you think of them? If you have attended a UEFA Final before please let us know - your comments are much appreciated!
