FINAL VERDICT –
Here’s what the man who organised last weekend’s football extravaganza in the Welsh capital has to say on its success...
O NE week on and Wales is still buzzing from staging such a successful Uefa Champions League final. Real Madrid and Juventus, two of the biggest clubs in world football, have been in touch with the FA of Wales this week to thank Cardiff for a fantastic experience.
Uefa powerbrokers have outlined how bowled over they were by the whole occasion, while participation levels from the Welsh public over the four days building up to the final eclipsed records from previous venues such as Wembley, Milan and Berlin.
It was so successful there is even talk about Euro 2020 matches coming to the magnificent Principality Stadium.
Alan Hamer was the project director who spent two years painstakingly organising the world’s biggest club match for Cardiff 2017.
In this in-depth interview he reflects upon the event, in what can be termed the Cardiff Champions League dossier.
These are Hamer’s own words... THE WELSH VISION AND SLOGAN “We had a three-pronged vision.
“One: engage a nation. Two: deliver the best experience. Three: leave a lasting legacy.
“Well I feel we delivered on the three counts and throughout the four days, from the Champions League Festival down Cardiff Bay through to the final itself, we gave everyone a warm Welsh welcome.
“On point one we got as many people involved as possible from throughout Wales, as figures I will come on to amply demonstrate.
“On point two the Uefa hierarchy were happy. On point three, the FAW wanted the experience and publicity to leave Welsh football in a stronger position.
“I’d like to think we have done that, with more youngsters wanting to play, coach or referee.” JUST HOW BIG WAS IT REALLY? “To be honest with you we’re still recovering physically and mentally. Uefa’s President Aleksander Ceferin gave a speech at the pre-match dinner inside Cardiff Castle and said: ‘This is the hardest sporting event in the world to organise.’
“Having just done it I know exactly what he means! I had been to the three previous finals in an observer capacity and thought I had an understanding of just how big it was.
“In fact a team of 30 of us went to Milan last time out for Real Madrid versus Atletico, spent five days there, and thought we had a handle on it.
“But it turned out to be 10 to 20 times bigger than I imagined. The public’s focus was on the final itself but, starting from the Wednesday evening with the festival, this was a four-day event.
“The project team were working from 7am until midnight at times.
“I was so consumed by it that I even forgot to renew my Cardiff City season ticket in time. The General Election build-up passed me by.
“And, do you know, I even forgot to record the final – I still haven’t seen it!
“Thirteen FAW staff were working flat out in sixth gear. Uefa sent 250 staff to cover the event themselves so that puts into perspective what we achieved.
“We had one chance to get it right, with the whole world watching us.
“This is an event like no other. In the Euros you get four games to get it right. When the Rugby World Cup came to Cardiff there were eight matches, the Olympics, too. Even for England versus Australia, there are five days to a Test match so if something goes wrong at first you can address it for the following day.
“The Champions League was a one-off chance, boom or bust. There was no hiding place.
“The FAW led but we had so many stakeholders and every one of those delivered on the project. They had previously brought the FA Cup, Heineken Cup, Rugby World Cup and Ryder Cup to Wales and at the outset I don’t think they realised how big this one actually was.
“That was understandable for people accustomed to watching the Champions League final on TV. It took a bit of adjusting to.” THE UEFA VERDICT “Wales has a population as a country that is smaller than that of Berlin. So it’s human nature for people to criticise when a city the size of Cardiff gets a major sporting event like this.
“The Uefa individuals who delivered it for us were taking a big gamble. Small nation, there hadn’t been a Champions League finall here before.
“They were trusting g Cardiff with their crownn jewel.
“Well these individuals s should be patted on the e back. They placed theirr confidence in us and the e most pleasing thing for mee is that we didn’t betray that t trust by letting them down.
“Uefa were very happy.. They commented upon not t just how professional wee were but also how hospita- ble.
“We made really good d friends with Uefa staff.. When you work on a majorr project like this it’s easy too fall out over a range of is- sues.
“Far from it – we were open and honest and ready to ask for help when necessary. There were no difficult discussions.
“There were a lot of plaudits coming our way afterwards from Uefa but to be honest I don’t think there’s been an event held in Wales that has not been a success.
“We take a lot of punches beforehand, people criticising and questioning our right to host the game, yet we keep on quietly delivering.g
“Perhaps don’t brag about it as others might or push ourselves enough. I guess we’re just a humble nation.” THE SPECIAL ATMOSPHERE “I was at the San Siro final last year and that was loud for the Madrid derby but this was on another level again. “I guess Cardiff will always be remembered as the European Cup final where theth roof was shut for the fi first time. “Everyone was commenting about what a phenomenal atmosp phere that created but I have to be honest and say the decision was made for security reasons rather than atmosp pheric ones. “I mean, let’s be hone est, playing football under a closed roof in June seems a bit weird on the face of it! “But we didn’t want a anyone having any sort o of opportunity to fly a drone. Not necessarily because it would be d dangerous but if someone had put a drone up to film the game we wouldn’t have known what that was for and th that could have caused som some panic.