After Liverpool and Spurs shocked Barcelona and Ajax with two of the most incredible comebacks in modern footballing history, we’re now looking at the first all-English Champions League final since 2008, when Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow.
In fact, it’ll be just the third major European final in history to feature two English teams.
It’ll be a particularly special night for Spurs, as it’s their very first Champions League final.
And the odds really were stacked against them – they lost the first leg of the semi-final at home and had to recover a 2-0 second-leg deficit to progress through to the final.
They are only the second team in Champions League history to achieve such a feat – the first, as it happens, was Ajax!
What does it say about the English game?
Spurs will be the eighth different English team to feature in a European Cup or Champions League final (the others being Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest).
This really is a testament to the strength and depth of English football, as England have now had a greater number of different teams reach the final than any other UEFA nation.
And the way both Spurs and Liverpool progressed to the final, while impressive, perhaps shouldn’t have come as such a surprise. In fact, in the history of the Champions League, English teams have come from two or more goals behind to win on seven occasions, which is four more times than the clubs of any other UEFA nation.
So, what about the final?
Spurs will go into their first Champions League final as the nominal home team, facing Liverpool, who have now reached the Champions League final for the 9th time, and have won five European Cups already – more than any other English team.
The final will take place at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on 1st June. It’s the fifth time that the Spanish capital has hosted a European Cup final, but the first time the event will be staged at the home ground of Atletico Madrid rather than the Bernabéu.
And the stadium?
The Estadio Metropolitano has recently been refurbished to replace the Vicente Calderón and was named in honour of the original Estadio Metropolitano, which was Atletico ’s home ground until 1966.
The brand-new stadium boasts green credentials, with recycled rainwater irrigating the pitch and LED lighting and solar panels installed to help reduce energy consumption.
The stadium has a capacity of around 68,000 and both Liverpool and Spurs have been allocated 16,613 tickets each for the final. Another 4,000 tickets have been sold to fans all over the world, while the rest will go to UEFA, other associations, commercial partners, broadcasters and for corporate hospitality.
Take your team to the scene of the final!
Our pro-training tours to Atletico Madrid offer the opportunity to tour the Estadio Metropolitano, as well as training sessions run by Atletico ’s own youth coaches.
For more information or to request your tailor-made quote , please don’t hesitate to contact us .