NO trophy in European club football is bigger than the Champions League – and hosting the final has become a badge of honour for any city.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced UEFA chiefs to strip St. Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena of earning the rights to host the prestigious final last season.
Resulting in the mantle being passed on to Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
But when is the Champions League final and where is it being held?
When is the 2023 Champions League final?
The final of club football’s top-tier European tournament will take place on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
Manchester City vs Inter Milan will contest the big one.
City thrashed Real Madrid to reach the final, while Inter beat rivals AC Milan.
The match will kick off at 8pm BST.
This will be the 68th season of the competition and the 31st since it was renamed from the European Cup to the UEFA Champions League.
Where is the 2023 Champions League final being held?
Istanbul, Turkey has won the rights to host the 2023 Champions League final.
The huge fixture will be played at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium and it boasts a seated capacity of approximately 75,000 supporters.
One of the most iconic Champions League finals was played at this stadium which saw Liverpool pull off a sensational comeback against AC Milan before beating them on penalties.
Ataturk Olympic Stadium opened in 2002 and was built to support Turkey’s bid to stage the 2008 Olympic Games but it lost out to Beijing National Stadium in China.
However, the Turkey national team uses Ataturk Olympic Stadium as their home venue.
Reports from the Daily Mail have claimed that Uefa “have held talks about moving” the showpiece to Lisbon’s Stadium of Light in Portugal.
This is due to growing concerns that there could be civil disturbances if president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s two-decade reign ends.
Uefa “would be extremely reluctant to switch the final” for a second-year running.
But they “may be forced to consider a late change as the safety of fans is their primary concern.”
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What do the 2023 Champions League winners get?
Winners of the final will be granted a guaranteed place in the 2023/2024 Champions League competition.
A chance to win the Club World Cup against other teams across the globe.
And they will take on the winners of the Europa League for a chance to secure the UEFA Super Cup just before the new season gets underway.
Who has won the Champions League the most?
Real Madrid – 14
AC Milan – 7
Liverpool – 6
Bayern Munich – 6
Barcelona – 5
Ajax – 4
Manchester United and Inter Milan – 3
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Benfica, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Porto – 2
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
