GSP CORRESPONDENCE FROM BUDAPEST Open lesson from Budapest! » The Hungarians organize the Champions League final and the Final Four in handball, and Bucharest does not have a multipurpose
Budapest is becoming the undisputed capital of European sport, hosting two of the continent's most important events: the UEFA Champions League final (May 30) and the Women's Handball Champions League final (June 6-7). All this time, Bucharest does not have a multipurpose hall, and for a month the National Arena has been closed for three concerts.
- Gazeta Sporturilur has three correspondents in Budapest, for the Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal;
- The duel between the Parisians and the Londoners takes place tomorrow, from 19:00, Romanian time;
Hungary enters a week in which it becomes the center of gravity of European sport, a veritable pole of top events that attract the attention of the entire continent.
Budapest hosts two landmark finals, the UEFA Champions League and the Women's Handball Champions League, along with a host of related events that turn the city into a huge stage of performance and spectacle.
The Champions League final opens the ball
The first colossal event to take place in Budapest is undoubtedly the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. The match will take place on May 30, from 19:00, at “Puskás Aréna”, with a capacity of 67,215 seats.
The owner of the stadium is the Hungarian Football Federation, and its construction from scratch cost 593 million euros. On November 15, 2019, the official inauguration of the new stadium took place, in the presence of 65,114 spectators, through a football match between Hungary and Uruguay (1-2), record attendance to date.
The match will kick off at 18:00 local time, and UEFA justified its choice: “The aim is to make matchday a truly enjoyable experience for everyone who wants to be part of this special atmosphere, while also creating a welcoming environment that facilitates the participation of families and children in the most important interclub match of the season.”
At the end of the game, the winner will lift the UEFA Champions League trophy, which weighs 7.5 kg, above her head.
Moreover, the UEFA Champions Festival will also take place, which will transform Budapest's Heroes' Square into a real spectacle, with dozens of special events.
Collection tour with Xavi, Roberto Carlos and Figo
A day before the big final between PSG and Arsenal, Budapest is hosting another five-star event: the “Ultimate Champions Legends” tournament, featuring the biggest names in world football.
Now in its second edition, the event will take place in the “László Papp” Sports Hall in Budapest, a 12,500-seat arena that has been sold out for months.
The biggest names in UEFA Champions League history will play exhibition matches, with participants including Luis Figo, Cafu, Ivan Rakitić, Xavi Hernández, David Silva, Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla, Roberto Carlos, Robert Pirès, Marco Materazzi, Éric Abidal, but also other important names from Hungary.
Also, the participants will have the opportunity to take photos with the famous UEFA Champions League trophy, but also to visit numerous food and drink stands, including Hungarian specialties.
Handball is taking over Budapest
Just one week away, the capital of our neighbors becomes the zero kilometer of European handball, where Romania will be represented after an 8-year break by CSM Bucharest.
CSM Bucharest will face Metz in the first semi-final, on June 6, from 16:00, and Brest and Győr will compete in the other semi-final. The matches will take place in a real architectural gem: the MVM Dome, an indoor arena with 20,022 seats, one of the largest in Europe.
Budapest will host the final weekend of the Women's Handball Champions League for the 12th time, and three years ago the hall was sold-out at the final tournament.
The Budapest arena has 49 VIP boxes, 14 elevators, eight escalators and a 12-ton video cube, with total construction costs amounting to more than 200 million euros.
The world of woodcutters, also in Budapest
Another world event that will bring thousands of people to the Hungarian capital is the Stihl Timbersports World Trophy, dedicated to the best woodcutters in the world, an event that will take place right in the center of the city.
This year also marks the launch of the first women's World Championship in history, where the best athletes will compete in spectacular events.
The weekend will culminate on June 6 with the World Trophy Finals, one of the traditional highlights of the season and one of the most highly regarded competitions.
This year, the competition will be headlined by the titular champion and current world singles champion, Jack Jordan. Team and trophy competitions are conducted in a knock-out system.
