WIREDGOV

One month on from the huge success of the UEFA Champions League Final in Cardiff, First Minister Carwyn Jones and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin have thanked everyone involved in organising the event.

In a letter to the First Minister, Aleksander Čeferin praised event organisers for delivering “nothing short of excellence” and a “remarkable and professional series of football events”.

Mr Čeferin also thanked Cardiff for its warm welcome describing the capital as a small city which “welcomed with open arms many thousands of football fans in an outstanding spirit of cooperation, protection and pure enjoyment.”

The momentous Champions League Finals and the 4 day festival in Cardiff Bay brought thousands of fans to Wales’ capital city and - despite a significant security operation throughout the city and added pressure on Wales’ transport network - disruption was kept to a minimum.

The First Minister has thanked the Football Association for Wales, UEFA, Cardiff Council, South Wales Police and all the emergency services for their hard work and success in delivering the events. 

First Minister said:

“One month ago, Cardiff hosted the greatest sporting event of the year. The eyes of the world were on Wales, and we delivered. 

“The Champions League Final was a culmination of months of hard work and planning to ensure our visitors were kept safe, well looked after and given a fantastic Welsh welcome.  

“I would also like to thank fans for their good behaviour during their time in Cardiff. It was wonderful to see thousands of French, Spanish and Italian fans enjoying themselves in our capital city and I hope they go back home with fond memories of Wales, and return again in the future. 

“The challenges that came with being the smallest city ever to host such an event should not be underestimated and it makes me very proud to see what Cardiff achieved. There will be millions of people across the globe who will have sat up and taken notice of Wales as a place to visit, work and do business. We are determined to build on this great success.”