Dublin stadium selected for Euro final
by Pete Hayman | 03 Feb 2009
Dublin's Lansdowne Road stadium, which is currently undergoing a 411m euro (£371m) redevelopment, has been selected to host the 2011 UEFA Cup final.
The new 50,000-seat stadium, which is expected to be completed in 2010, was chosen by European football's governing body, UEFA, following a joint bid from Dublin City Council (DCC) and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). It is hoped that the event will also help to boost Dublin's tourism, and is to be the largest sporting event staged in Ireland since the 2003 Special Olympics.
FAI chief executive John Delaney said: "This is a significant coup. The final will cement the reputation of the new stadium with a global audience and, along with the Four Associations' tournament, hosted by the FAI in Dublin in 2011, will provide a huge boost to the country's tourism industry." Eibhlin Byrne, lord mayor of Dublin, added: "The UEFA Cup final will focus the world's attention on Dublin, as well as providing significant visitor numbers to our city."
Planning permission for the new Lansdowne Road stadium was granted in 2007 by An Bord Pleanála, with funding coming from the FAI and the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), as well as a 191m euro (£173m) grant from the government. The UEFA Cup is to be rebranded as the UEFA Europa League from 2009.
Dublin's Lansdowne Road stadium, which is currently undergoing a 411m euro (£371m) redevelopment, has been selected to host the 2011 UEFA Cup final. The new 50,000-seat stadium, which is expected to be completed in 2010, was chosen by European football's governing body, UEFA, following a joint bid from Dublin City Council (DCC) and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). It is hoped that the event will also help to boost
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