By David Gold
March 28 – UEFA has placed 50,000 tickets on sale for the Women’s Champions League final, to be held at the Olympiastadion in Munich on May 17.
The tickets can be obtained via the internet by clicking here, telephone (+49 89 54 81 81 81) and 200 sales offices in southern Germany.
Tickets will also be available at the Olympiastadion on the eve of the match.
Last year’s women’s Champions League final attracted a crowd of 14,303 – just over half the ground’s capacity – to Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground in London to see Olympique Lyonnais of France defeat German side Turbine Potsdam 2-0.
UEFA is hoping this year’s showpiece finale will break the attendance record for a final when 28,112 people attended the second leg of a tie between Duisburg and WFC Zvezda 2005 in 2009.
European football’s governing body anticipates the crowd figure will be further bolstered by the game taking place in the country that hosted last year’s Women’s World Cup.
That competition spurred an increase of interest in the women’s game – three of the host nation’s matches set FIFA television viewing records, with 17 million people watching Germany exit the competition to Japan.
The final, between the United States and eventual champions Japan, was a sell out – attracting more than 48,000 fans.
The 2012 Women’s Champions League final will also mark the first official football match to be played at the Stadium since 2005, while the UEFA Champions League festival will visit the Olympic Park from May 16 until 19.
Giorgio Marchetti (pictured right), UEFA’s director of competitions, insisted that playing the women’s final on a non-working day would help attract families to watch the match.
“This final will take place on a public holiday with an early kick-off time of 18.00 CET as we hope that families with children will attend the game,” he said.
“UEFA is very happy and thankful to all the partners: the German Football Association (DFB), the city of Munich, Olympiapark GmbH, the Local Organising Committee and Bayern Munich FC.
“It is an easy organisation here in Munich because the traditional German efficiency is helping us a lot, even if there are many challenges.”
Ticket discounts for parties of at least 11 people are available for €5 (£4.20/$6.70) each; main-stand seats cost €10 (£8.50/$13.50) each and family tickets (two adults and two children aged up to 16) are on offer for €20 (£17/$27) each.
Steffi Jones (pictured second on right), the 2012 UEFA Women’s Champions League final ambassador and a World Cup winner as part of the German squad in 2003, said: “I am looking forward to the final and the festival – we want to promote women’s and girl’s football, and encourage girls to play everywhere.
“I am thankful UEFA is investing money in the promotion of women’s football.”
Her thoughts were echoed by Paul Breitner (pictured right), the UEFA Champions League ambassador for the 2012 men’s final, which is being held at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.
Breitner, part of the West Germany team which defeated the Netherlands at the Olympiastadion to claim the 1974 World Cup, said: “It is always a pleasure to return to the Olympic Stadium – there are so many fond memories.
“It is still the most beautiful stadium in the world with its fantastic architecture.”
Breitner added: “I am proud UEFA is honouring Munich as one of the most attractive venues for football and I want to pay my respect to the decision to host the (women’s) final here.
“I want to invite everybody to play a part on May 17 to make the day an unforgettable football event.”
Olympic Park spokesperson Arno Hartung commented: “You should never say never again.
“Football returns to the Olympic Stadium, and we are proud that, for the first time in history, the stadium will host a women’s game and especially such a high-profile event.”
This season’s women’s Champions League campaign has reached the semi-finals stage, with a repeat of last year’s final still possible after Potsdam and Olympique Lyonnais both progressed to the last four along with Arsenal and FFC Frankfurt.
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