The most important information (click to go)
Never before has Wroclaw hosted a UEFA European Cup final. Only this year has our city been granted the Conference League final. The two finalists will play at Tarczyński Arena on 28th May.
Renata Granowska, Deputy Mayor of Wroclaw: ‘Wroclaw is a city of sport, including international sport. We are extremely proud that European football is returning to the capital of Lower Silesia once again this year. After all, our stadium was built on the occasion of UEFA EURO 2012 and hosted three matches of the group phase. UEFA Nations League or World Cup qualification matches have been held here. We also hosted the 2017 World Games or a professional boxing gala.’
‘I wish everyone a hot thrilling final. I must admit that I hope for the arrival of Chelsea London. However, regardless of who plays in the final and where the fans come from, they will find the city with fully prepared logistics, transport and promotion. Excitement is growing as we have not had a football match on this level since 2012,’ adds Renata Granowska.
Three fan zones – the main zone (fan festival) in the Market Square
The number of those wishing to watch the final at the stadium are reportedly four times as big as the capacity of Tarczyński Arena. The fans who will have enough luck in the ticket raffle (the deadline for registration has passed) will watch the match from the stands. For others, there will be three fan zones with screens in the city: two near the stadium and the main one in the Market Square. They will be located at the Parasol Wroclaw stadium at 72 Lotnicza Street and on the pumptrack at Królewiecka Street. These points will be open on the day of the match between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
The biggest attraction, however, will be a large fan zone – the so-called fan festival – in the centre of the city, on Pigeon Square, where fans will find plenty of entertainment and attractions prepared by sponsors (including Decathlon, pyszne.pl or Flixbus).
‘We want Wroclaw's residents and tourists to celebrate the European football festival together. This is why we invite everyone to our fan zone on the Wroclaw Market Square. We will put the Conference League trophy on display so that fans could see it from a close range and take photos,’ says Renata Granowska.
The fan festival at the Wroclaw Market Square will be open on Tuesday (27th May) from 10:00 a.m. till 10:00 p.m. and on the day of the match (28th May) from 10:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m.
In connection with this event, special public transport service will also be available so that several thousands of fans could arrive at and return from Tarczyński Arena Wroclaw fans as comfortably as possible.
Tarczyński Arena ready for the big final
Zones and attractions will be prepared later, whereas almost everything is ready at Tarczyński Arena. The hosts had to meet the organiser's precise list of requirements, e.g. by improving the lighting, ticket control and sound systems at the stadium and replacing the turf after the winter season.
Marcin Przychodny, President of Tarczyński Arena Wroclaw: ‘This was one of the most significant aspects. Once we finish replacing the turf, everything that UEFA pointed out will be done. We have been working very intensively on the organisation of the final for a year and a half, with the help of the Polish Football Association and using the vast experience of UEFA, whose experts have visited us a regular basis. They will arrive for the final inspection a few days before the big event.
Wroclaw is waiting for football fans
There will also be fans from abroad: from Sevilla or Florence and Stockholm or London (Real Betis, Fiorentina, Chelsea London and Djurgarden are still in play for the final). We can expect fans from Polish cities, too. The hosts from Wroclaw hope that fans will spend some time in the city before and after the match.
‘The UEFA Conference League final will also be a promotional event for our city. It will surely attract a few dozen thousands of fans and tourists to Wroclaw. The final is also an economic opportunity for Wroclaw. Those who will arrive here will stay in hotels and visit restaurants and pubs. Of course, we hope that they will visit our major tourist attractions on that occasion. We look forward to their arrival,’ says Renata Granowska.
Cezary Kulesza, President of the Polish Football Association: ‘Apart from the sporting event, fans from all over Europe will have an opportunity to see the beautiful city of Wroclaw. The organisation of the final is, above all, a great promotion not only for Wroclaw but also for Poland. We remember this very well – after all, a year ago we had the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw.
I would also like to thank the representatives of the city and stadium authorities for organising the event very well already at this stage,’ adds Kulesza.
The Polish Football Association initiated talks with the organiser about the final, but the secretary Łukasz Wachowski stresses that the credit should go mainly to the local community, which did the lion's share of the work.
Łukasz Wachowski, Secretary-General of the Polish Football Association: ‘It did not take long to convince the UEFA that the city of Wroclaw deserves this fantastic event.’ The Conference League ranks third in terms of prestige, but for the UEFA all finals – in the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League – are extremely important. Munich, Bilbao and Wroclaw will be mentioned in the same breath.
There will be a new Conference League champion
This year's UEFA Conference League is only the 4th edition of the tournament. Thirty-six teams took part in the main phase, including two from Poland: Jagiellonia Białystok and Legia Warsaw. Śląsk Wroclaw also tried, but failed to qualify.
The teams from Białystok and Warsaw advanced to the knockout stage, where they made it through two rounds. Both were eliminated in the quarter-finals: Jagiellonia lost to Betis Sevilla, and Legia was defeated by Chelsea London.
In the semi-finals, Spain's Betis will face Italy’s Fiorentina AC, whereas England's Chelsea will play against Sweden’s Djurgarden.
The final will take place on Wednesday 28th May at Tarczyński Arena in Wroclaw. As for now, we do not know who will play there. The only thing we know is that someone will win the cup for the first time. Previous winners:
- AS Roma in the 2021/2022 season – 1:0 in the final against Feyenoord Rotterdam at the Arena Kombëtare in Tirana, Albania.
- West Ham United in the 2022/2023 season – 2:1 against Fiorentina in Prague, Czech Republic.
- Olympiakos Piraeus in the 2023/2024 season – 1:0 against Fiorentina in Athens, Greece.
The Conference League is the third level of the club competition organised by the UEFA, behind the Champions League and the Europa League.
