CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TROPHY TO PARADE THROUGH CARDIFF
THE Champions League trophy will arrive in Cardiff this week with a parade through the city centre.
The final is being held in Cardiff on June 3.
The trophy will be taken from Cardiff on Saturday to Swansea and will not return to the capital until May 9 when it will be taken to a closed event at Whitchurch High School – the former school of Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale.
Ian Rush, an ambassador for the final, and First Minister Carwyn Jones will travel to Switzerland and officially receive the iconic silverware from Uefa, and bring it back to Wales, where it will stay until the final.
The trophy will be welcomed to the city with a public parade from Cardiff Castle to the Principality Stadium – renamed the National Stadium of Wales – on Friday afternoon.
It will travel along High Street, St Mary Street and Guildhall Street.
The parade will include ambassador for the men’s final Mr Rush, ambassador for the women’s final Jayne Ludlow and grassroots football award winners, schools and clubs.
There will be road closures for the parade to take place.
After it leaves Cardiff, the FAW will take the trophy to 20 venues across Wales, stopping at a selection of schools, clubs and popular public locations.
The first stop will be in Swansea before taking in venues across Wales.
It will then come back to Cardiff and be displayed in Cardiff Bay for the four days of the Uefa Champions Festival from June 1 to 4.
Jonathan Ford, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales said: “An event of this magnitude affords us a tremendous opportunity to continue to grow the game here in Wales, and have a positive and long lasting effect on Welsh Football. Euro 2016 showed many people across Europe that Wales is a proud and successful footballing nation, to host the UCL Final twelve months later once again puts Wales on the map.
“The FAW, as host association awarded the event back in 2015, has cited qualifying for major tournaments and the staging of major football finals as core objectives of its strategic plan. Delivering against these objectives is a critical component of the ambitious commitment of the FAW to promote and develop football.
“While the footballing world turns its attention to Cardiff, it’s vital that we ensure that everyone here in Wales has the opportunity to feel part of this fantastic event. Over the coming weeks and months, numerous initiatives are being launched, including a Wales-wide trophy tour, school education programme, UCL-themed five-aside National Cup competition, girls football festivals and many more, all designed to ensure the Welsh public feel part of the final in Cardiff.”
Preparations for the final are in full swing with security measures being installed in the city.
South Wales Police has said the security operation will be “unprecedented”.
In total, 1,500 officers from across all four Welsh forces and some in England will be drafted in for the final.
After explosions hit a team bus carrying the Borussia Dortmund team last week, the police said security was at a maximum.
Large sheets of timber have been built around trees in the city’s Bute Park to protect them from fans.
Work has also begun to start preparing for the creation of hospitality villages in the park.
On the day of the final, 175,000 fans are expected in Cardiff and there will be huge disruptions to roads to ensure fans can get into the stadium for the final.
Every hotel room is the city is booked and a huge, temporary campsite of 2,000 pre-pitched tents will be created in Pontcanna Fields.
Extra train services will run throughout the night and extra coaches and buses are being put on.
Work has also begun to start preparing for the creation of hospitality villages in the park.
Swathes of city roads will be closed for 24 hours, with some closures lasting up to five days.
Cardiff Bay will be closed to traffic for the four days of the festival.