The Luzhniki stadium in Moscow and the Stadio Olimpico in Rome will host the 2008 and 2009 UEFA Champions League finals respectively.
Manchester and Istanbul
At its meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia, UEFA's Executive Committee also awarded the 2008 and 2009 UEFA Cup finals respectively to the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester (England) and the Sükrü Saraçoglu Stadium in Istanbul (Turkey). The committee made its choice after assessing criteria such as stadium capacity, safety and security, access, transport, supporters' facilities and commercial potential.
Luzhniki stadium
The Luzhniki stadium, formerly known as the Grand Arena of the Central Lenin stadium, was inaugurated in 1956. Owned by FC Torpedo Moskva, it is the biggest sports arena in Russia with 84,745 covered seats. The capacity reached 103,000 when the Luzhniki sports complex staged the Olympic Games in 1980, but was reduced following renovation work between 1995 and 1997.
Artificial pitch
It is one of few major European stadiums to use an artificial pitch, having installed the UEFA-approved FieldTurf surface in 2002 to withstand the effects of the freezing winters, although a new natural grass pitch will be laid for the final. Luzhniki held the 1999 UEFA Cup final between Parma FC and Olympique de Marseille, and last week hosted the first UEFA Champions League match on artificial turf, between FC Spartak Moskva and Sporting Clube de Portugal.
Rome arena
The Stadio Olimpico is one of the most famous venues in world sport. Built as a 54,000-capacity arena in the 1950s to stage the 1960 Olympics, this sporting temple is home to both AS Roma and S.S. Lazio. Two years after providing the setting for the 1987 World Athletics Championships, the ground was redeveloped for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
World Cup setting
The stadium was the scene of the 1990 World Cup final between West Germany and Argentina and has also held three European Champion Clubs' Cup finals, in 1977, 1984 and 1996.
Manchester venue
The City of Manchester Stadium was constructed for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and was converted after the event for use as a football arena. The 47,000-capacity venue, one of the largest in the English Premiership, is home to top-flight club Manchester City FC as well as a popular setting for large-scale music concerts.
Unique Istanbul stadium
The Sükrü Saraçoglu in the Kadikoy district of Istanbul is unique in Turkey as being one of the only grounds without a running track around it. With every stand rebuilt between 1999 and 2003 to be closer to the pitch, the home of Fenerbahçe SK is named after former club president Sükrü Saraçoglu.
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