By Andrew Warshaw at Wembley
November 26 – The chairman of Wembley Stadium has promised the pitch will be in perfect condition for this season’s Champions League final.
David Bernstein, former Manchester City boss, said the problems following the stadium’s re-opening in 2007 had been overcome.
“We did have some well-publicised issues regarding the pitch, but I can say with total confidence they are all behind us,” said Bernstein after UEFA unveiled the official logo for the end-of-season finale.
“We are confident it will be of the highest standard for the Champions League final and worthy of Europe’s top two teams.
“We look forward to making May 28 unforgettable for all the right reasons.”
To mark the first time Europe’s most prestigious showpiece has come back to Wembley since Barcelona beat Sampdoria in the old-style European Cup format in 1992, a series of activities are being planned during an eight-day period in the capital.
“The new Wembley is one of the great stadiums in world football – it’s got the same name and is in the same location but it’s not the dilapidated old stadium I once played in,” said former England striker Gary Lineker who was on hand to officially launch the Champions League final.
“There are three London clubs in the competition – Chelsea, Arsenal and my old team Spurs – but it’s a remarkable statistic that no London club has ever won the European Cup.
“Perhaps this season, with the final at Wembley, we will see the first.”
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