2015 Champions League Final in Berlin
Berlin, 23 May 2013 The 2015 Champions League Final will take place at Berlin's Olympic Stadium. This was decided by the executive committee of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) at its meeting in London today. Although it remains unknown which top European teams will compete in the German capital, one winner is already clear: Berlin.
Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin, remarks: "We look forward to welcoming two million visitors who will come to the city to celebrate the best football in Europe. Berlin will also be ready to present itself as a great host to 100 million television viewers around the world."
Berlin, the Sports Metropolis
From a casual kick-around to the Olympic Games: In Berlin, athletes have home field advantage. There are some two thousand clubs in the city with about 560,000 members. Berlin is home to top teams, but not just in football: Hertha BSC has made its way back to the Bundesliga first division football; the Eisbären Berlin are Germany's hockey champions; the BR Volleys are the top volleyballers in the country and Alba Berlin won Germany's basketball cup. In addition, the professional handballers Füchse Berlin and second-division 1.FC Union call Berlin their home.
Germany's capital, with its arenas and enthusiastic audience, has often been a stage for international sporting events. Each year, Berlin hosts events such as the ISTAF athletics competition, the Sechstagerennen track cycling event and the DFB Cup final. Organisers and athletes feel at home in the city on the river Spree, where sport has long been well-established.
Sport as an Economic Driver
The latest figures show that sport was responsible for €1 billion in revenues in 2011 and provides a living for 18,000 people in the city. Sport is also an image boost for the capital. Sporting events such as the BMW Berlin Marathon attract 40,000 runners to Berlin each year as well as more than a million visitors from 120 nations.
More information about sport in Berlin can be found at sport.visitBerlin.com; the study on sport as an economic driver can be found at press.visitBerlin.de (only in German).