Istanbul Hosts UEFA Finals, Welcoming English Teams

Istanbul Will Host Its Fifth UEFA Final with Europa League Match between Freiburg and Aston Villa

The UEFA Europa League final between German side Freiburg and English club Aston Villa will be held at Tüpraş Stadium tomorrow, making Istanbul the fifth host of a UEFA final.

Istanbul has previously organized two UEFA Champions League finals, one UEFA Cup final, and one UEFA Super Cup match.

THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRST FINAL

In 2005, Atatürk Olympic Stadium hosted the UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan, marking one of the most dramatic and unforgettable moments in football history.

Milan led 3-0 at halftime with goals by Paolo Maldini and Hernan Crespo (2). Liverpool equalized in the second half with goals by Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer, and Xabi Alonso. They won on penalties 3-2, securing the cup in the first UEFA final held in Turkey.

UEFA CUP FINAL IN ISTANBUL

In 2009, Istanbul hosted the final of the UEFA Cup, the last to be held under that name before being renamed the UEFA Europa League.

Shakhtar Donetsk, led by former Turkish national team coach Mircea Lucescu, won their first European trophy by defeating Werder Bremen 2-1 in the final at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.

SUPER CUP FROM DOLMABAHÇE TO ADALAR

In 2019, the UEFA Super Cup featured two English teams, Liverpool and Chelsea, both competing after winning their respective European competitions.

The match ended 1-1 after regular time and 2-2 in extra time, leading to a penalty shootout. Liverpool won 5-4, securing their second trophy in Istanbul.

MANCHESTER CITY'S HISTORIC VICTORY

In 2023, Atatürk Olympic Stadium once again hosted the UEFA Champions League final, where Manchester City defeated Inter Milan 1-0.

This victory marked Manchester City's first-ever UEFA Champions League title, completing a treble (winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League) in the same season. Pep Guardiola, Manchester City's technical director, won the Champions League for the third time in his career, all in Istanbul.

ENGLISH DOMINANCE

In four out of the five UEFA finals hosted by Istanbul, English teams have participated. They have won the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup in Istanbul.