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Championing fans at Cardiff festival

Cardiff Bay had a truly international flavour last week, with more than 100,000 fans from all over Europe flocking to the Champions Festival to enjoy the fantastic atmosphere generated by the 2017 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women’s Champions League finals.

Championing fans at Cardiff festival
Championing fans at Cardiff festival ©UEFA.com
Ian Rush delivered the trophy by boat to Cardiff Bay, and was met by thousands of fans.
Ian Rush delivered the trophy by boat to Cardiff Bay, and was met by thousands of fans.©UEFA.com

Set up to help fans savour the atmosphere around the Champions League final, the festival kicked off on Thursday morning, when former Liverpool and Wales legend Ian Rush was welcomed by a crowd of thousands as he brought the Champions League and Women’s Champions League trophies to the festival via boat. 

Brothers Stuart and Adrian Field were stunned to learn they had won tickets to the final.
Brothers Stuart and Adrian Field were stunned to learn they had won tickets to the final.©UEFA.com

There were also huge crowds at the UEFA Champions Gallery, as more than 50,000 people came to view iconic images from past competitions. For the first time ever, the gallery also hosted a selection of Welsh grassroots photography, which drew plenty of interest from local visitors - not least brothers Stuart and Adrian Field, who were rewarded with two free tickets to the UEFA Champions League final for being the 50,000th visitors to the event. 

Meanwhile, more than 20,000 visitors waited patiently to have their photo taken with the famous trophies, and another 3,000 relished the opportunity to lift the virtual equivalents in the immersive UEFA Virtual Champions Arena.

Two teams containing legends from previous UEFA Champions League seasons were a highlight of the festival.
Two teams containing legends from previous UEFA Champions League seasons were a highlight of the festival.©UEFA.com
A fast, skilful exhibition of amputee football also brought in the crowds.
A fast, skilful exhibition of amputee football also brought in the crowds.©UEFA.com

It was impossible to miss the incredible floating football pitch, built especially to excite and entertain fans during numerous exhibition matches. While the Ultimate Champions match, featuring legends such as Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo, Robert Pires and Marcel Desailly, undoubtedly attracted the biggest crowd, there was also considerable interest in the fantastic displays of Amputee, Cerebral Palsy and Deaf football from UEFA partner organisations. 

UEFA's new drive to boost women's football was well received at the festival.
UEFA's new drive to boost women's football was well received at the festival.©UEFA.com

The festival hosted the launch of Together #WePlayStrong, UEFA’s drive to increase participation in women’s football across Europe, and thanks to appearances from spectacular freestylers Liv Cooke and Lisa Zimouche, alongside a fussball table and photowall, their vibrant stand was a huge hit with young women. 

On Friday night, the atmosphere had reached fever pitch as international DJ Steve Aoki rolled into town to close the festival for the evening, pulling in a giant crowd in the process.

By the time the festival closed on Sunday afternoon, more than 100,000 visitors had poured through the gates, bringing the curtain down on a highly successful event.