The 2011 Champions League final will be held in London after Wembley was chosen to host the showpiece event.

Uefa selected the rebuilt UK stadium ahead of Berlin’s Olympiastadion and the Allianz Arena in Munich.

The news had been expected after Uefa delayed its decision to allow the UK Government to bring in a tax exemption for players appearing in the final.

Meanwhile, Lansdowne Road in Dublin has been picked to host the 2011 final of the Europa League (Uefa Cup). Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium had also been in the running, but as one country cannot stage both major finals in the same season, as soon as Wembley was awarded the Champions League game, the Gunners’ home ground was ruled out.

The Champions League final was last hosted by the UK in 2003 at Old Trafford. Wembley has not staged it since 1992 when Barcelona beat Sampdoria in the year before the competition became known as the Champions League.

Commenting on the decision, the Football Association chairman Lord Triesman said:

This is fantastic news for London and the UK.

It is acknowledgment of Wembley’s ranking alongside the very best football stadiums in the world.

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