UEFA HAVE CONFIRMED that the Millennium Stadium will host the 2017 Champions League final.
The 74,500-seater stadium in Cardiff has never hosted a European final, but the nearby Cardiff City Stadium was the venue in 2014 when a first-half double from Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a 2-0 win for Real Madrid over Sevilla in the Super Cup.
“These are exciting times for Welsh football. It feels like the whole country is behind us as we attempt to reach next year’s Euro 2016 finals in France,” said Gareth Bale.
“I know how passionate the Welsh football fans are so it’s great the Champions League final is coming to my home city of Cardiff.
“I loved playing in the Super Cup last year and it would be fantastic to be involved in front of a packed crowd at such an iconic stadium in 2017.”
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey was also buoyed by the announcement that the final will be held in his home nation for the first time.
“What a season it has been for Wales and Welsh football,” the 24-year-old enthused. “What with last year’s Super Cup, the unforgettable support and atmosphere at our recent match against Belgium, Wales topping their Euro 2016 qualifying group and now this wonderful news.”
Elsewhere, Uefa announced that the 2017 Europa League final will be held in the Friends Arena in Solna, Sweden.
The 2017 Super Cup, meanwhile, will be played in Skopje’s National Arena Filip II of Macedonia.
