Platini hands Europa trophy over
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
UEFA President Michel Platini was in Dublin today to hand over the
Europa League trophy to the city of Dublin, ahead of the final at
the Dublin Arena on May 18th.
Platini presented the trophy to Gerry Breen, lord mayor of Dublin, at a special handover ceremony at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.
The Europa League final is the first major European club final to come to Dublin and 35,000 supporters are expected to fly into the city for the showcase event.
There are four teams still in the hunt for Europa League glory, with three out of the four semi-finalists coming from Portugal.
Tournament favourites Porto will take on Spanish side Villarreal while Benfica will meet Braga in an all Portuguese affair.
The final was awarded to Dublin before the new stadium was even built and FAI CEO John Delaney can't wait for it to finally take place.
He said: "Everybody was united together to make sure we delivered this. We knew this was a big gig and next month is going to be great when the final comes into Dublin.”
But Delaney wasn't giving too much away when it came to trying to name the finalists who will line-out at the Aviva Stadium on May 18th.
“I would like to see a Spanish and a Portuguese team in the final. That's what we want, but if we got Benfica v Porto, what a derby that would be. They're all good sides and over two legs you never know.”
The famous trophy, which tips the scales at a staggering 15kg, will be on show to the public from now until the final at a number of venues throughout the capital.
Platini presented the trophy to Gerry Breen, lord mayor of Dublin, at a special handover ceremony at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.
The Europa League final is the first major European club final to come to Dublin and 35,000 supporters are expected to fly into the city for the showcase event.
There are four teams still in the hunt for Europa League glory, with three out of the four semi-finalists coming from Portugal.
Tournament favourites Porto will take on Spanish side Villarreal while Benfica will meet Braga in an all Portuguese affair.
The final was awarded to Dublin before the new stadium was even built and FAI CEO John Delaney can't wait for it to finally take place.
He said: "Everybody was united together to make sure we delivered this. We knew this was a big gig and next month is going to be great when the final comes into Dublin.”
But Delaney wasn't giving too much away when it came to trying to name the finalists who will line-out at the Aviva Stadium on May 18th.
“I would like to see a Spanish and a Portuguese team in the final. That's what we want, but if we got Benfica v Porto, what a derby that would be. They're all good sides and over two legs you never know.”
The famous trophy, which tips the scales at a staggering 15kg, will be on show to the public from now until the final at a number of venues throughout the capital.
About Frankie Lally
Frankie Lally writes for a number of publications. You can contact Frankie on Twitter at @FrankieLally
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