The Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid will host the 2010 Champions League final, with UEFA awarding the same season’s UEFA Cup final to the Arena Hamburg.
“The home stadiums of Real Madrid and Hamburg were chosen on the basis of capacity, facilities, accommodation and security, among other considerations,” read a Uefa statement.
Now boasting a capacity of 71,569, the Santiago Bernabeu has hosted three previous European Cup finals. Real Madrid won the first of them, beating Fiorentina 1-0 in 1957, while Milan beat AFC Ajax 4-1 in the 1969 final. More recently, Nottingham Forest FC defeated Hamburg 1-0 in the 1980 final.
Wembley was among five grounds competing to stage the event in 2010 and 2011 but the stadium was discounted for 2010 after failing to provide guarantees that participating players would not be taxed by the British government.
Rival bids from Munich and Berlin were also overlooked.
UEFA’s executive committee had planned to announce the holders of both the 2010 and 2011 finals but will now reopen the bidding for 2011.
