UEFA chose the new Lansdowne Road Stadium in Dublin as the venue for the 2011 UEFA Cup final. This is a huge boost for the FAI, the IRFU, Dublin City Council and the Government who have all played a huge part in the building of the new stadium. A UEFA Cup final can be worth in the region of €30m and will be a massive boost to the economy.
UEFA decided on the new Lansdowne which is on schedule for 2010 after a year long proccess. The bid was strong as the relationship between the FAI and Dublin City Council is strong. Other important factors were the support that came from relevant Government Departments, business people, leisure areas and tourism who were committed to help Dublin host the game.
The event will also provide a huge boost to Dublin tourism and will provide another important opportunity for Ireland to demonstrate its expertise in hosting a major sporting event.
The UEFA Cup will be renamed the UEFA Europa League from July 2009.
John Delaney, Chief Executive of the FAI said on fai.ie
"Europe's top clubs will play outthe 40th final of the UEFA Cup in Dublin in 2011. This is a significant coup, for our new stadium and for Ireland.
"I would like to pay particular thanks to Dublin City Council and the Government for their help in mounting this winning bid, against stiff competition from all over Europe.
"I also acknowledge the role of industry partners including the DAA, An Garda Siochána, Dublin Tourism, Dublin Bus, Iarnróid Eireann, IHF, RPA, Dublin Tourism and the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and thank them for their support.
"The final will cement the reputation of the new stadium with a global audience and along with the 4 Associations' tournament, hosted by the FAI in Dublin in 2011, will provide a huge boost to the country's tourism industry."
Dublin's Lord Mayor Eibhlin Byrne said on the FAI webite
"I am delighted that all the hard work that went into mounting this bid has paid off.
"The UEFA Cup final will focus the world's attention on Dublin as well as providing significant visitor numbers to our city.
"We look forward to making the UEFA Cup Final in Dublin a success by working with our main partners and creating a night to remember for everyone.
"The success of the bid, alongside our successful campaigns to become European Capital of Sport 2010 and European Capital of Science 2012, indicate the high esteem in which Dublin is held internationally.
"The 'can do' attitude which has won these bids is at the heart of 21st century Dublin and will see our city going from strength to strength no matter what the challenges ahead of us are."