Leeds delay pre-season friendly so fans can watch Euro 2022 final
Leeds have announced that their pre-season friendly against Serie B side Cagliari on Sunday evening will kick-off 45 minutes later than originally planned to allow fans to watch the full Women’s Euro 2022 final between England and Germany.
The Euro final at Wembley begins at 5pm, with Leeds initially intending to start their match against Cagliari at Elland Road at 6pm.
However, Leeds want to give all fans the opportunity to watch the final in its entirety and not have the Cagliari game, the last friendly before their Premier League campaign begins, clash with it.
In addition to delaying the kick-off, the Euro 2022 final will also be shown on screens at the Elland Road Fan Zone and on all concourses inside the stadium.
A statement from the club read, “We are all exceptionally proud of the effort and fantastic football on display from the Lionesses, and will therefore show the match in the Fan Zone and on all concourses around the ground for supporters to watch the final inside Elland Road.
“This is a momentous occasion in the history of our country and we want all supporters to have the opportunity to watch the game, and hopefully cheer the Lionesses on to lifting the trophy on home turf.”
England booked their place in a first major women’s international final since 2009 with a crushing 4-0 defeat of Sweden in the semi-final at Bramall Lane on Tuesday night.
Among the England squad, both Millie Bright and Rachel Daly have played for Leeds in the past.
Already, Euro 2022 has more than doubled the previous attendance record for a Women's European Championship tournament. Once the final has been played, total attendance at the tournament is likely to reach 570,000, while the final itself could set a new attendance record in European Championship history - men's or women's, with an 87,000-capacity Wembley sold out and the current record set way back in 1964 standing at just under 80,000.
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