The countdown has begun for the distinguished UEFA Europa League final at Friends Arena, and the meticulous preparations are now entering a final stage. About 48,000 football lovers from around the world are expected to enter the stadium on May 24 to see Ajax and Manchester United fight for victory.

“We have been planning for this moment for almost two years, and much of our focus now at the final stage is, of course, on the Friends Arena venue and the logistics surrounding it,” says Göran Havik, project manager for the UEFA Europa League final at the Swedish Football Association.

Together with the World Cup in 1958, the European Championships in 1992, the Women’s World Cup in 1995 and the UEFA Women’s Euro Final in 2013 at Friends Arena, the UEFA Europa League final is the largest international football event ever hosted by Sweden. The UEFA Europa League event also coincides with the fifth anniversary of the stadium.

“We are very enthusiastic about displaying Friends Arena, Solna and Stockholm for the rest of the world in this attractive context,” says Marie Lindqvist, Managing Director of Friends Arena.

Below a few more facts and numbers before this major football event at Friends Arena:

• Last year’s final of the UEFA Europa League was broadcast live in more than 100 countries with 160 million viewers.
• The UEFA Europa League final is the largest ever television production for football in Sweden.
• On site, there will be about 10 TV companies with their own production units to monitor the event together with an estimated 1,000 media representatives. 5 TV studios will be equipped for the event.
• At the specially designed press gallery, approximately 160 commentators from radio and television will work during the match.
• 34 cameras will supervise every second of the match for the international TV signal. In addition, there will also be cameras from individual television companies.
• For each of the teams in the final, 10,000 tickets have been reserved for the fans.
• Thousands of international supporters are expected to arrive in the final 24-hours before the match, which places additional demands on logistics to and from Arlanda.
• About 300 volunteers are in place to help, and there has been considerable interest in enrolling as volunteers.
• The audience includes many high-profile persons, among them; Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA President, Patrik Andersson, Ambassador UEFA Europa League Finals, Karl-Erik Nilsson, Chairman Swedish Football Association, Pia Sundhage, Coach Swedish women’s national team, Janne Andersson, Coach Swedish men’s national team and Håkan Ericson, Coach Swedish U21-team.
• The UEFA Europa League final will be inaugurated by DJ duo Axwell Λ Ingrosso, who return to Friends Arena after the successful concerts in December 2012 when they said farewell to their former group, Swedish House Mafia. Students from the Cultural Schools in Solna and Stockholm will also participate in the opening ceremony.
• The UEFA Europa League final is produced in collaboration between the Municipality of Stockholm, the Municipality of Solna, Friends Arena and the Swedish Football Association.

For media inquiries, please contact the press center at +46 (0)8-502 53638 or communications@friendsarena.se