Welcome to Belfast for the 2021 UEFA Super Cup Dear Football
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Welcome to Belfast for the 2021 UEFA Super Cup Dear Football Fan, We are delighted to welcome you to the 2021 UEFA Super Cup match at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast. The city of Belfast is looking forward to greeting the respective winners of last season’s UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League titles, Chelsea and Villarreal. Both clubs emerged victorious after tough campaigns, and they will be looking to add the Super Cup to this year’s honours at the home of Linfield FC and the Northern Ireland national team, a venue that has played host to numerous memorable domestic and international matches over the years. The UEFA Super Cup match is an important European football occasion because it heralds the start of a new season of UEFA club competitions. It also gives national associations across Europe the chance to stage a showpiece event on the calendar. This year Northern Ireland will have the opportunity to play host to two teams of the highest calibre. We can all anticipate an exciting and entertaining match to take us into the 2021-22 campaign. Enjoy the action! Aleksander Čeferin Welcome to Belfast for the 2021 UEFA Super Cup Dear Football Fan, We are delighted to welcome you to the 2021 UEFA Super Cup match at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast. The city of Belfast is looking forward to greeting the respective winners of last season’s UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League titles, Chelsea and Villarreal. Both clubs emerged victorious after tough campaigns, and they will be looking to add the Super Cup to this year’s honours at the home of Linfield FC and the Northern Ireland national team, a venue that has played host to numerous memorable domestic and international matches over the years. The UEFA Super Cup match is an important European football occasion because it heralds the start of a new season of UEFA club competitions. It also gives national associations across Europe the chance to stage a showpiece event on the calendar. This year Northern Ireland will have the opportunity to play host to two teams of the highest calibre. We can all anticipate an exciting and entertaining match to take us into the 2021-22 campaign. Enjoy the action! Aleksander Čeferin UEFA President Welcome message from the Irish FA President On behalf of the Irish Football Association it gives me great pleasure to welcome the players, officials and supporters of Chelsea FC and Villarreal CF to the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast for UEFA Super Cup 2021. As an association we are proud to host this year’s edition of the major European football showpiece which sees the winners of the UEFA Champions League take on the UEFA Europa League Champions. Northern Ireland as a whole is looking forward to this encounter between two high- calibre European club teams. Football is of huge importance in our country. In the true spirit of ‘Equal Game’, it brings a diverse range of people and communities together like no other sport, so it is great that we can host such an occasion. High profile European club games like this are normally the preserve of much bigger nations. I would like to thank UEFA for bringing the match to Belfast. Hosting this fixture confirms that, like us, UEFA believes the National Football Stadium is a compact world class venue capable of staging high profile international and club matches. It is a huge honour! I should also like to thank the dedicated staff in both UEFA and the Irish FA for their hard work in helping to make this a special occasion for everyone. This game is taking place at the ground which is home to the Northern Ireland national team and Linfield FC. Games were first played on this site in 1905. The venue has undergone several improvements since then and in 2016 a major redevelopment was completed. The £38m investment, supported by government, has transformed the venue into a top- class arena. It has been the stage for many unforgettable matches and moments down the years. This evening’s encounter between our visitors from England and Spain is guaranteed to join that illustrious list. Enjoy the game! Conrad Kirkwood President Irish Football Association Enjoy your visit to buzzing Belfast! Belfast is a city of buzzing culture and industrial prowess. Whether you are exploring the bars and restaurants of the Cathedral Quarter or visiting the birthplace of the world’s most famous ship, there is something for everyone in Northern Ireland’s dynamic capital city. The first port of call for many is the stunning Titanic Belfast visitor experience. Voted the World’s Leading Visitor Attraction in 2017, this shimmering landmark dominates the city’s Titanic Quarter and has become a beacon for Northern Ireland. Inside the building you will discover the story of the most famous ship in the world, the people who built her and the ship’s ill-fated journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Fine architecture is everywhere in Belfast. The grounds of Queen’s University Belfast are well worth a visit and just outside the city you’ll find the iconic Belfast Castle. And it’s also a city full of parks and open spaces. Belfast has become a food mecca and it’s impossible to walk around the city without being lured in by world class food and an array of excellent restaurants. The Cathedral Quarter was once considered Belfast’s Fleet Street and was a centre for literature and newspapers. Today it’s full of Belfast’s young and hip and those in the know out for a night of craic and fine food. It’s an upbeat cultural and nightlife zone which offers an impressive selection of cool cafés, great pubs, trendy bars and an amazing restaurant scene. And Belfast now boasts three Michelin-starred restaurants – OX, EIPIC and The Muddlers Club. Only the best of homegrown produce makes its way on to their menus. For such a small and compact city, Belfast has an amazing array of activities and attractions for you to choose from. It is one of those cities where there is a story on every street. The city centre is a great place to start when visiting Northern Ireland’s capital. It’s home to the impressive Belfast City Hall, the bustling St George’s Market and the main shopping district. Start off in the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre (opposite City Hall) to pick up information, book tours and find out everything to make the most of your visit. Further information is also available online at tourismni.com and visitbelfast.com. Getting to Belfast Villarreal fans are travelling to/from this year’s UEFA Super Cup on charter flights, adhering to strict Covid protocols, however here’s a guide for Chelsea fans who will be travelling to the match from Britain: BY AIR GEORGE BEST BELFAST CITY AIRPORT belfastcityairport.com +44 (0) 28 9093 9093 The airport is situated just three miles from Belfast city centre. The Airport Express 600 bus service runs from the airport terminal to the city centre. Please check the timetable for services. BELFAST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT belfastairport.com +44 (0) 28 9448 4848 Belfast International Airport is 30 minutes’ drive to/from the city via the M2 Motorway. The Airbus service 300 operates between the airport and Belfast city centre. Please check the timetable for services. BY SEA Belfast is easily accessed by sea with crossings from both Scotland and England. Travel by state of the art superfast ferries from Scotland with journey times circa two hours. Ferry Reservations STENA LINE stenaline.co.uk 0844 770 7070 P&O poferries.com 01304 448 888 Getting around Belfast Belfast is compact and bijou, so getting around the city is easy on foot, by bike or by taxi. However, if you want to wander a little further afield there’s a network of transport options which will get you to your desired destination. BY BUS AND TRAIN Translink is Northern Ireland’s public transport provider. Metro and Glider bus services operate in the Belfast area, with Ulsterbus and Goldline bus services connecting the rest of Northern Ireland. Go to translink.co.uk for further information, including timetables for coaches to/from the airports. Translink also operates Northern Ireland Railways which connects Belfast to various cities and towns in Northern Ireland. Tickets are available from the driver on the day of travel, from main bus and train stations or Glider ticket vending machines at halts and can also be purchased via the Translink app using Google Pay or Apple Pay. Within Belfast the main train stations are Great Victoria Street Station and Lanyon Station (previously known as Belfast Central Station). Passengers are reminded to use hand sanitisers at stations and cashless payments. Face coverings must also be worn onboard buses and trains and within stations. To plan your journey or for more information visit www.translink.co.uk or call 028 90 66 66 30 and follow @Translink_NI for the latest travel updates #LetsGoSafelyTogether. BY TAXI Taxi services operate from both Belfast City Airport and Belfast International Airport as well as ferry ports in Belfast (Stena Line) and Larne (P&0). fonaCAB and Value Cabs are the largest taxi firms operating in Belfast. fonaCAB fonacab.com +44 (0) 28 9033 3333 Value Cabs valuecabs.co.uk +44 (0) 28 9080 9080 CAR HIRE Auto Europe autoeurope.co.uk 0123 3225 114 Depots are located at Belfast International Airport, George Best Belfast City Airport and at a number of downtown locations in Belfast.