Cardiff to host 2017 Champions League final

Cardiff's National Stadium of Wales has been selected to host the 2017 UEFA Champions League final.

It will be Wales' first European Cup final. It will be the second time the destination of a UEFA trophy has been decided in the Welsh capital, though, following Real Madrid CF's 2-0 defeat of Sevilla FC at the Cardiff City Stadium in the 2014 UEFA Super Cup.

The decision was taken at Monday's UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Prague.

The 2016 final will be held on 28 May at Milan's San Siro.

Factfile: National Stadium of Wales
UEFA capacity: 74,500
Tenants: Wales, Wales rugby
Opened: June 1999

• Construction on the venue, located on the site of the old National Stadium, began in 1997. Despite only being three-quarters complete, the arena hosted its first match in June 1999, the Welsh rugby side recording their maiden victory against South Africa.

• Played host to the Welsh national football team for the first time on 29 March 2000. Jari Litmanen scored the stadium's first international goal in a 2-1 triumph for Finland.

• Hosted the FA Cup final for a six-year spell from 2001 to 2006 with Wembley undergoing redevelopment. Arsenal FC lifted the trophy three times in the stadium and Liverpool FC twice.

• Also staged the finals of other English cup competition's during Wembley's facelift and became notorious for an away-team curse. The first 11 major cup finals were all won by the side occupying the home dressing room.

• The stadium is equipped with a retractable roof, comprising two sliding 400 tonne sections which take 20 minutes to open or close. It is the second largest covered stadium in the world, behind Cowboys Stadium, Texas, United States.

• The playing surface is made up of 7,412 squares of turf which can be removed and stored when events such as concerts take place.