
Manchester City's aptly named City of Manchester Stadium has been successful in it's bid to host the Uefa Cup in 2008. The stadium with a capacity of around 47,000 has been judged by Uefa to be fit for the purpose of hosting a major European final. Stadiums are judged on a number of criteria including stadium capacity, safety and security, access, transport, supporters' facilities and commercial potential. However Wembley has failed in it's hopes to host the Uefa Champions League final in 2008 or 2009 although Uefa communications director William Gaillard has stated that Wembley will be considered seriously for the competition final in 2010. The problem for Wembley seems simple. A completion date is uncertain and at the moment it is a liability for major competitions. The ordeal could drag on for years and until then it is unlikely to be assigned any major events.