UEFA updates kickoff timing for Champions League final ahead of conducting league stage draw

UEFA announced the updated timing for the final of the Champions League on Thursday ahead of conducting the league stage draw for its flagship continental event. As per the announcement, the Champions League final will now take place at 6 pm Central European Time (9.30 pm Indian Standard Time) from 9 pm CET (12.30 am IST on the following day).

In a statement published on their website, the governing body for European football stated that the decision to start the final three hours earlier had “several tangible benefits” and was designed to enhance the overall matchday experience.

‘More accessible, inclusive, and impactful’

“With this change, we are placing the fans’ experience at the heart of our planning. The UEFA Champions League final is the highlight of the football season, and the new kick-off time will make it even more accessible, inclusive, and impactful for everyone involved,” UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said in the release published on the organisation’s website.

“While a 21:00CET kick-off is well suited for midweek matches, an earlier kick-off on a Saturday for the final means an earlier finish – regardless of extra time or penalties – and offers fans the opportunity to enjoy the rest of the evening with friends and family, reflecting on the game of the season,” he added.

UEFA body added that the decision would also be beneficial from the broadcasting perspective, helping what is one of the most watched sporting fixtures in the world reach an even broader television and digital audience.

Viewers in India, after all, had to stay away past three in the morning thanks to the marquee fixture kicking off half-an-hour past midnight, with extra time and penalty shootouts causing even further delays.

Paris Saint-Germain currently are the defending European champions, having thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the final at Munich’s Allianz Arena on 1 June to win their maiden title. They had previously finished runner-up in 2020, losing to Bayern Munich 0-1 in the final.