Jun 30, 2015 11:04 UTC chosen to host UEFA Europe League final 2017

The final of the UEFA Europa League 2017 will be played at the Friends Arena on May 24, 2017. This was decided by the UEFA Executive Committee at its meeting in Prague today. Behind the event is the Swedish Football Association together with the host city Stockholm, Friends Arena and Solna.

- It is both fun and important for Swedish football to stand as the organizer of one of the biggest football events. It is also one of our strategic goals is to organize more international events, says Swedish Football Association chairman Karl-Erik Nilsson.

- The decision shows that UEFA has great faith in both the Swedish football and the National Arena Friends Arena, says SvFF Secretary General Håkan Sjöstrand.

Stockholm has hosted many international football events before. On July 28, 2013 the final of the UEFA Women's Championship at Friends arena was playedin front of the largest audience in the championship's history, 41,301 people. A tourism economic evaluation showed that the final contributed a tourism economic turnover of SEK 50 million to the Stockholm region.

- UEFA Europa League final is an event that is totally in line with the Stockholm region's ambition to be one of Europe's leading event cities. We are happy and proud to invite you all to a great football party. We want it to be about more than a football game and plan to have a number supporter activities in Stockholm, says Karin Wanngård (s), Mayor of Stockholm.

UEFA Europa League final brings considerable media attention. The 2015 final in was seen by 45,000 spectators and 60 million TV viewers.

Swedish Football Association has previously organized four European club finals:

Cup Winners Cup:

• 1983 : Aberdeen Real Madrid 2-1 (after extra time) • 1990 Ullevi: Sampdoria-Anderlecht 2-0 (after extra time) • 1998 Rasunda: Chelsea 1-0 Stuttgart

UEFA Cup:

• 2004 Ullevi: Valencia, Olympique Marseille 2-0

When IFK Goteborg won the UEFA Cup in 1982 (against Hamburger SV) and in 1987 (against Dundee U) played the finals home-away.

For more information

Göran Havik, the Swedish Football Association, 070-393 72 49

Ann-Charlotte Jönsson, PR Manager Stockholm Business Region, +46 8 508 28 507

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