Old Trafford awarded final

Manchester United FC’s Old Trafford stadium is to stage the 2003 UEFA Champions League final, following an announcement from UEFA’s Executive Committee.

United delighted
"We are absolutely delighted that UEFA has chosen Old Trafford to host club football's most prestigious event," said United managing director David Gill. Old Trafford holds 67,000 fans and is English club soccer's biggest stadium. The match will be played on 28 May 2003.

Seville gets UEFA Cup
The decision was confirmed on Thursday after a two-day meeting in Nyon, Switzerland. The committee also revealed that the 2003 UEFA Cup final will be played at the Olimpico stadium in Seville, Spain on 21 May 2003.

First final
Old Trafford has never hosted a European final before and beat a number of candidates in the race to stage the 2003 climax of European club football's most prestigious competition.

Glasgow date
This season’s Champions League final is already scheduled to take place in Scotland at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 15 May 2002,  while the UEFA Cup final on 8 May 2002 has been given to the Feijenoord stadium in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the tenth time it has hosted a major European final.