A Champions League final siting question

[tcmahoney]

OK. UEFA has announced that Schalke 04 will host the 2004 Champions League final (http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/030326/4/dwb6c.html). (Don't know if that's been posted here yet, but it is now.)

I notice that Schalke is in seventh place in the Bundesliga, well behind (like everyone else is) Bayern Munich.

My question is this: If it looked like Schalke had been in the running to win this year's Bundesliga, would they even be in contention to host the Champions League final? Is UEFA determined to have a neutral site for the final at all costs?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[unclesox]

Well, this year's final is at Old Trafford. That alone should answer your question. ;)

PAST VENUES SINCE FORMATION OF CHAMPIONS' LEAGUE:
2002- Glasgow (will always be a neutral site :D)
2001- Milan
2000- St Denis, France (always neutral)
1999- Barcelona
1998- Amsterdam (?)
1997- Munich
1996- Rome
1995- Vienna (always...)
1994- Athens (always...)
1993- Munich
1992- London/Wembley

Think the Bernabeu will ever host a final again?
('57, '69, '80)

[tcmahoney]

Originally posted by unclesox
Well, this year's final is at Old Trafford. That alone should answer your question. ;)

D'oh! (http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/ucl/FixturesResults/IntroFinal.html)

Thanks.

[n00bie deluxe]

I'm convinced it will never be at the Bernabeu during our lifetimes. All the other teams would file a protest claiming Real bought off UEFA.

[minorthreat]

Originally posted by tcmahoney
I notice that Schalke is in seventh place in the Bundesliga, well behind (like everyone else is) Bayern Munich.

My question is this: If it looked like Schalke had been in the running to win this year's Bundesliga, would they even be in contention to host the Champions League final? Is UEFA determined to have a neutral site for the final at all costs?

Thanks in advance for your answers. I think it mas more to do with the fact that they want to show off the place that they built in Gelsenkirchen for WC '06. Supposedly the brand-new Arena auf Schalke is one of the highest rated stadia in Europe.

[minorthreat]

Originally posted by n00bie deluxe
I'm convinced it will never be at the Bernabeu during our lifetimes. All the other teams would file a protest claiming Real bought off UEFA. As if this doesn't already happen? :rolleyes: See: Ferguson, Sir Alex.

[SankaCofie]

Originally posted by C-towner
As if this doesn't already happen? :rolleyes: See: Ferguson, Sir Alex.

as if Real DOESN'T buy off Eufa :rolleyes:

[Oscar]

as if Real DOESN'T buy off Eufa

¿You managed to get your hands on the receipt, did you? :confused:

[n00bie deluxe]

Originally posted by C-towner
As if this doesn't already happen? :rolleyes: See: Ferguson, Sir Alex.

I really didn't understand what he was b!tching about. If he was really confident about his team's abilities, he would have said "It doesn't matter where we play Real, we can beat them anywhere." Instead he was implicitly saying, "We only want Real in the final... at Old Trafford."

[unclesox]

Originally posted by n00bie deluxe
I really didn't understand what he was b!tching about. If he was really confident about his team's abilities, he would have said "It doesn't matter where we play Real, we can beat them anywhere." Instead he was implicitly saying, "We only want Real in the final... at Old Trafford."
As soon as the 2nd phase ended and the group winners and runners-up were known, everyone already knew the matchup would be Real-ManU because of UEFA's system of matching up sides for the 1/4-finals. ;)

[SankaCofie]

Originally posted by Oscar
¿You managed to get your hands on the receipt, did you? :confused:

LoL. yeah it accidentally showed up instead of my reciept with a N. Korea jersey i bought. If someone at UEFA has access to my credit card number i'm going to be really angry.

[jmcclain19]

someone already mentioned it's because it is the first big time stadium to be done for WC06, and its time to do a little showcasing.