Champions League final: Wembley, a legendary stadium told in five matches

Wembley is a pilgrimage that every football fan must make once in their life. Just walking the alley that leads there from the metro station of the same name gives you chills. “It’s one of the most iconic stadiums in football,” Edin Terzic, BVB Dortmund coach, rejoiced on Friday, just before setting foot on his pitch for the first time during pre-final training.

Even Carlo Ancelotti, who won the Champions League four times as a coach, was rejoicing. “Playing this final at Wembley makes the moment even more special,” he admitted, raising his no less legendary left eyebrow.

If today, the enclosure is known for its 315 meter arch which holds the roof in the London sky, this was not the case for a long time. The modern Wembley was only inaugurated in 2007, after a construction cost of 789 million pounds sterling (or approximately 1.83 billion francs at the time).

Built in a completely different style in 1923 on the same site, “Old Wembley” was identified thanks to its two emblematic twin towers in white limestone. The capacity was then 125,000 seats (compared to 90,000 today).

Wembley was designed for the British Colonial Exhibition of 1924. It was the 1923 FA Cup final between Londoners West Ham and Bolton Wanderers which inaugurated the enclosure, under the eyes of King George V.

But this great first could have turned into a tragedy. Tens of thousands of spectators try to enter the stadium without tickets. If officially 126,047 spectators paid their place, the police estimate that nearly 300,000 people followed the match, gathered right up to the touchline. Drama was narrowly avoided (and Bolton won 2-0).

Inventors of football, the English have long reigned supreme over this sport. On November 25, 1953, the London public flocked to see a logical victory against Hungary. However, Ferenc Puskás’ team humiliated the British (6-3) at home and the local press spoke of the “match of the century”.

Europe then discovered a tactical approach and football entered a new era. The brilliant Magyars were, however, deprived of the 1954 world title in Switzerland during the “Miracle of Berne”. Defeated in the final by West Germans high on methamphetamines.

Photos of England’s victory at the 1966 World Cup still line certain corridors of Wembley Stadium today. The victory in extra time against West Germany, however, remains one of the most controversial finals in history.

The referee, Gottfried Dienst from Basel, notably validated the 3-2 “signed” by Georges Hurst in the 101st minute, even though the ball had not crossed the line. Enough to make the Scottish commentator of the time choke with rage.

Since it is impossible to exhaustively summarize more than 100 years of history in five matches, we might as well add a touch of Swiss chauvinism. The Swiss team held off England in 2011 at the new Wembley, which has been in service for four years.

A match that will be a milestone in the evolution of the Nati in the 21st century. Ottmar Hitzfeld decided to start with a certain Granit Xhaka, barely an adult at the time. Johan Djourou also starts in central defense.

The Swiss lead 2-0 thanks to a double from Tranquillo Barnetta, before being pulled back. This draw will ultimately not send the national selection to the Euro co-organized by Ukraine and Poland, but it breaks a glass ceiling.

England is organizing the 13th edition of the Women’s Euro in 2022 and the final will logically be played at Wembley. The “Lionesses” won the title in front of 87,192 people by beating Germany, again in overtime (2-1).

A record attendance, not only for women’s football, but for a European Championship final, men and women combined. The last reference for the men’s competition dates back to the 1964 European Nations Cup where Spain lifted the trophy at home, beating the Soviet Union in front of 79,115 spectators.