Last month I wrote a post about how I favored the idea of the NFL playing regular season games outside of the United States. While I thought it would be a great way to help promote the sport outside of the country (considering it is the one of the most marketable leagues in the world) some were upset because of various factors: home-field advantage and excess travel among other small things. After I wrote the post I got to thinking if the shoe was on the other foot. What if the biggest league in Europe: UEFA’s Champion’s League did the same thing and brought a game over here.

Before you start making snotty remarks already, let me clarify some things. First off, UEFA has in the past openly without hesitation moved locations of matches regardless of home-field advantage. Serbia and Israeli clubs have been known for ages to have their matches moved to neutral venues because their opposition feared their safety (usually English clubs making the complaint) so the idea of moving a game to another place is not a pipe-dream. But in this case, I wouldn’t say moving a regular Matchday game between two clubs like but to move the final to a location outside of Europe.

           There are certain guidelines UEFA has set up in order for a Stadium to be allowed to host either the UEFA Cup or the Champion’s League Final. Each stadium in Europe is given a rating and those which either have 4-stars or 5-stars are allowed to host such a final,; the former being able to host the UEFA Cup Final while the later can host either. Some of the guidelines include:

(Courtesy of: www.answers.com and www.wikipedia.org)

•  Minimum capacity of 30,000 (for 4-star) and 50,000 (for 5-star) with proper individual seating with backrests
• Pitch dimensions of 105x68m. The grass conditions must be of the best condition possible 
• Protective fences are not allowed and any stadiums with such are eliminated from the ratings
• Sufficient room around the field of play for ad-boards 18 TV camera; also, there must be enough space between the goal and the first row of seats for a maximum of 150 photographers
• First-rate dressing-rooms for both clubs and the referees
• Modern security installations (good PA system) Permanent TV surveillance system in color that can monitor all movement of spectators inside and outside the stadium
• Suitable covered seats for disabled spectators (min. two sections with at least 50 spots each) (includes proper washroom facilities for the disabled)
• Clear signage that people can understand in and out of the stadium
• First-rate media facilities in terms of camera positions, TV studios, etc...
• First-class facilities for VIPs
• International airport(s) able to cope with the huge extra demands of a UEFA final – 60 charter flights per day in addition to normal, scheduled flights 

 These requirements are scaled down a bit but they still get the message across. There are currently about 25 5-star stadiums in Europe and about 15 4-star stadiums for UEFA to choose to host a final. Any other city that wishes to host a final but doesn’t have the requirements needs to change things in order to be on the list. Realistically, and stadium in any of the major Western European markets can easily with proper funding improve a stadium to this status. Even stadiums outside of Western Europe could host. For example, Belgrade, Serbia which hosted the final back in 1973 isn’t capable of hosting a final now because Red Star Stadium does not have a ‘jumbotron’ and it has protective fencing surrounding the stadium. Other than that, it could host a match if the city wanted to and the improvements were made.

            When you look the requirements and then take a look at stadiums across the United States, there are very few that could not host the final. Cities likes Chicago, Miami, New York, Boston (Foxboro) could all easily host the final as they have world-class airports and stadium facilities. Even West-coast locations like San Diego, Phoenix (Glendale) and Seattle could also host and they too have some really nice, large stadiums. The only questionable requirement is the number of seats covered. Other than that requirement all these stadiums fit the bill. You can’t even use the ‘field-turf’ v natural grass complaint since Moscow was awarded a future final and they are using synthetic grass for the match there.

          Since the final is played usually on a Wednesday and the end of the European Soccer season, most teams will be finish their seasons and therefore traveling wouldn’t be a problem. If UEFA wanted they could even change the game from a mid-week to a weekend final and still make a lot of money. Have the game at 14:30 EST and that would be primetime in CET (20:30). Soccer fans are all over the world and hosting it in a country of 300 million would definitely sell-out quickly. In 2005, I flew from Canada to Istanbul, Turkey to watch the 2005 final (the Classic Liverpool comeback match) so I doubt a Barca or Chelsea fan would object to flying to New York or Miami to watch their team in the final.

Yes, I understand that this is Europe’s final and the 2nd biggest yearly event (behind the Super Bowl and ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix (lost my citation, but take my word for it)) but the money that it would generate would be incredible.

My dream will probably never happen, but it’s nice to think about it. Since we footy fans are willing and able to fly from North America to Europe to watch a final, I doubt they’d hate to fly here.