By David Gold
January 31 – UEFA has announced that this season’s Women’s Champions League final will be held in Munich’s Olympiastadion on May 17, two days before the men’s showpiece.
The game will kick off at 18:00 CET (19:00 GMT/14:00 ET) to make the event more family friendly.
Olympique Lyonnais will be hoping to defend the title they won last May, after beating Sparta Prague in the round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals.
Also through to the last eight are Arsenal, Rossiyanka, Brøndby, Frankfurt, Malmö, Göteborg and Potsdam.
German football legend Steffi Jones, now the director of girls and women’s football at the German Football Association (DFB) will be tasked with raising the profile of the match.
A trophy tour, UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy handover and a ticket launch will be part of their campaign.
Germany also hosted last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, which was won by Japan.
“I am proud to be the ambassador of the match that is the highlight in the European women’s club football calendar,” Jones said.
“We need club competitions at the highest level, such as the UEFA Women’s Champions League, to further develop the women’s game around Europe.
“I am sure the final will be a great success and Germany is looking forward to welcoming the finalist teams to Munich in May.”
UEFA director of competitions Giorgio Marchetti added: “UEFA is happy to be able to reach out to the ever-growing women’s football fan base, especially the youngest among them.
“We believe the 6pm kick-off will further attract families and children to the stadium.”
The Olympiastadion hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1972 and the 1974 World Cup final.
It hosted the European Cup Finals of 1979, 1993 and 1997 and was the home ground of Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 Munich until 2005 when they move to the newly constructed Allianz Arena.
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