Excited to watch the Europa League Final tomorrow? Here's everything you need to know before the showdown between Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen and Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta underdogs in Dublin.
When and where is the Final taking place?
The Europa League Final between Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta will take place at 8:00pm on Wednesday at the Aviva Stadium on Lansdowne Road, turnstiles will open at 5pm.
Why is the Aviva Stadium being called the Dublin Arena?
The Aviva Stadium - whose name is due to a sponsorship from the insurance company - will be known as the Dublin Arena for the Europa League Final. Due to UEFA regulations on corporate sponsorships, stadium names are often changed for UEFA competitions such as the Etihad Stadium, being listed as the City of Manchester Stadium. The Emirates is often renamed to simply Arsenal Stadium when playing in Europe.
Will the Europa League Final disrupt public transport?
With the Europa League Final set to take place at the Aviva Stadium, Irish Rail is warning of disruptions to usual service as fans of Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen arrive tomorrow night. The Lansdowne Road DART station will be closed from 4 pm tomorrow to assist the Gardaí with crowd and traffic management. Gardaí have predicted heavy traffic in Dublin city centre and around the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.
With more than 48,000 fans expected to attend and Europa League Final ticket holders having free access to Dublin's public transport, you can expect buses and trains to be busy. Irish Rail has also organised extra DART services after the match ends.
Will there be traffic disruption in Dublin?
Fans of the two Europa League finalists will be separated before kick-off, with the two team’s supporters being organised to meet up in two different locations across Dublin, with Leverkusen’s fans meeting at the Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium and the RDS facilitating Atalanta supporters.
Gardaí will escort the two fan groups to the Aviva Stadium where they will go through “additional security checks” to access the stadium. Irish Rail has advised fans planning to get the DART to the match to:
- Fans travelling from Dublin city centre have been instructed to get off at Grand Canal Dock Station.
- Those travelling from stations south of the stadium have been recommended to alight at Sandymount Station.
What channel is the Europa League final On in Ireland?
The final between the Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta is being shown on TV on Virgin Media Two & TNT Sports 1. You can also stream the Europa League Final on Virgin Media Player and on Discovery+.
Who is the favourite to win the final?
Bayer Leverkusen, who are undefeated this season, are the bookies' favourite, heading into the match with at 5/6. The underdogs, Atalanta are 10/3 to win the match with a draw after regulation time being 13/5.
What’s happening at the UEFA Europa League fan festival?
With the atmosphere building ahead of the clash between the newly crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen and Italy’s Atalanta, Dublin Castle will be home to the UEFA Europa League fan festival. Tickets to the fan fest are completely free, letting everybody, not just ticketholders, get excited for the event! The events, which began today,
It’s your chance to meet World Cup 2010 legend, Diego Forlán, and one of Arsenal’s greatest players, Robert Pirès, who will be among the stars taking part in a legends match at Dublin Castle tomorrow as part of the build-up to the Europa League Final, starting at 12pm on Wednesday.
Taking to the 4v4 field at the Dublin Castle, former Liverpool and Barcelona winger, Luis García will be joined by another former Anfield legend, David James, as well as Steffen Freund, Gaizka Mendieta and Florian Klein.
League of Ireland stalwarts Barry Murphy and Gareth Farrelly will represent the locals.
Fittingly, ahead of Bayer Leverkusen’s bid to keep their undefeated season alive, former Arsenal Invincible Ashley Cole will round out the legends game.
🇮🇪 🏆 #UEL fans listen up! Join the fun at the #UELfinal fan festival at Dublin Castle from Tuesday morning!
🗓️ 21-22 May
📸 Trophy photo ops, skill stations, and much more
🆓 Free entry for all ages
Full programme: ⬇️#UEL | @EuropaLeague— UEFA (@UEFA) May 20, 2024
It won’t just be the Europa League legends playing in Dublin Castle tomorrow, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has organised a match between aspiring football players forced to flee from war.
Fans will get the chance to try powerchair football at the festival, the European Powerchair Football Association will be providing a spare wheelchair for attendees to get involved.
All across Dublin, promotional events are taking place ahead of the final, with a giant replica of the UEFA Europa League trophy being erected on North Earl Street, just beside the Portal.
