FAI confident of success in bid to host 2011 UEFA Cup final

THE FAI is confident the association’s bid to host the 2011 UEFA Cup final will succeed.

A team of UEFA inspectors flew out of Dublin yesterday after a two- day visit to assess the city’s ability to host the game, with the new stadium at Lansdowne Road among six stadiums short-listed to host either the 2010 or 2011 UEFA Cup finals.

A variety of presentations, covering all aspects of the bid criteria, were made by expert personnel from the FAI, Dublin City Council, Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company, Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, Dublin Airport Authority and An Garda Síochána.

The other short-listed stadiums are Emirates Stadium (Arsenal), Arena AufSchalke (Schalke 04), Olimpico de Montjuic (Espanyol), Arena Hamburg (Hamburg), and the National Stadium (Bucharest).

A final decision is expected to be made by the UEFA Executive Committee in Liechtenstein next March.

UEFA have already decided the Champions League final will be staged on a Saturday from 2010.

The change follows pressure from UEFA president Michel Platini, who believed staging the final on a Wednesday night prevented it being an occasion for families.

The first Champions League final on a Saturday will be in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico the season after this.