Old Trafford lands 2003 final

Uefa chiefs yesterday announced Old Trafford will stage the Champions League final in 2003, but at the same time gave some gloomy warnings about football's television bonanza having reached a peak.

Manchester United's 67,000–seater 'Theatre of Dreams' will follow Hampden Park as the venue for the final, meaning there will be two finals held in Britain in consecutive years.

Meanwhile Uefa's executive committee meeting in Nyon, Switzerland, decided unanimously not to alter the format the Champions League, and it will remain as it is until at least the 2005–6 season.

Uefa chief executive Gerhard Aigner said while there were many indications that television's love affair with football was ending, the Champions League was still in demand and that was why they had resisted making any changes to the 32–club format.

Aigner said: "We are stagnating. Which means we are not increasing but at the same time we are not decreasing.

"We have looked at the market very carefully and it is clear that football does not enjoy the same degree of interest that it used to. Television is choosing its matches now and not necessarily showing just any football game.

"But the Champions League is a top product and not the product they would abandon. It is still enjoying a great deal of interest from the TV stations. Everyone says 'don't touch the Champions League'."

There had been calls from some quarters to scrap the second group phase, brought in during 1999, and return to having a straight knock–out after the initial group phase.

Possible changes to the Uefa Cup, perhaps introducing a group phase, will be decided early in the new year.

Meanwhile, Uefa communications director Mike Lee said Old Trafford had been the strongest candidate to stage the 2003 final, with Seville's Olimpico Stadium holding the Uefa Cup final, and that the fact Hampden was the venue for next year's Champions League final was of no consequence.

He said: "We want to make sure that the final does move around Europe but in footballing terms Scotland and England are different countries.

"In terms of airports, ground capacity, parking, media and supporters facilities, Old Trafford was clearly first choice."

Wembley was the last venue in England to host the European Cup final, in 1992 when Barcelona won the trophy.

United managing director David Gill welcomed both the Old Trafford announcement and that the Champions League was remaining unchanged.

Real Madrid legend Emilio Butragueno revealed his disappointment at the final being awarded to Old Trafford.

The former striker is now working as an executive at Real who had hoped their Bernabeu would be chosen to stage the match.

Uefa also decided that the European under–21 finals will be held in Switzerland in May.