Uefa names next three Champions League final venues
St Petersburg, Munich and London will host the three Champions League finals from 2021, European football's governing body Uefa said yesterday.
Uefa also announced that it would expand the size of the top divisions in the Nations League, while its new third-tier club competition, due to start in 2021, would be known as the Europa Conference League.
Istanbul in Turkey is already scheduled as the host of this season's Champions League final on May 30 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, and Uefa has gone for tried-and-tested venues for the next three editions.
The 2021 final will be the second to be staged in Russia after Moscow hosted Manchester United's penalty shoot-out win against Chelsea at the Luzhniki Stadium in 2008.
St Petersburg's Gazprom Arena hosted seven World Cup games last year and is scheduled to host four Euro 2020 games.
Munich's Allianz Arena hosted Chelsea's victory over home side Bayern in 2012, while Wembley will take charge of Europe's premier club final for the eighth time.
Wembley will, in 2023, celebrate the 100th year since the opening of the original stadium in London.
Meanwhile, Uefa said its new Europa Conference League will be based on regional conferences and the first edition in 2021 would feature 32 clubs.
The aim of the league is to allow more countries and clubs to be involved in continental competition.
Also, the second edition of the Nations League, due to start next September, will see the top divisions expanded in size.
Instead of 12 teams playing in four groups of three, there will be 16 teams in Leagues A, B and C, playing in groups of four.
The teams are allocated to leagues based on their overall rankings, a move that is likely to save some of the teams who were facing relegation from their leagues after the 2018/19 competition. - REUTERS
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