Fans are baffled after noticing something ‘wrong’ with Europa League final stadium

Fans were left confused after noticing something odd about the venue of the Europa League final.

The final of the 2023-24 UEFA Europa League final took place on Wednesday evening, with Atalanta taking on Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

Few expected the final to be contested by those two clubs, but both enjoyed impressive seasons.

Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title without losing a single match, and came into the final on a 51-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Atalanta knocked out Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the tournament, and have secured their place in next season's Champions League by finishing in the top five of Serie A.

Thousands of fans flew to Dublin from Bergamo and Leverkusen to see the showpiece match, Atalanta's first ever European final and Leverkusen's first since 2002.

The match took place at the 51,000 capacity Aviva Stadium, but fans were left baffled by a bizarre feature of the stadium.

Three of the four stands in the stadium look similar to many modern stadiums, but the the stand behind the goal at the norther end of the stadium is much smaller and shorter.

The stand - housing Leverkusen supporters on Wednesday - comprises a single tier, compared to the three tiers all the way around the rest of the arena.

Behind the seats is a huge glass panel wall, which the curved roof of the stadium slopes into.

The design allows natural light to reach the houses in the adjacent area, as well allowing the playing surface to be illuminated by sunlight.

Some fans aren't too keen on the stadium opened in 2010, despite it's large capacity.

"What a garbage stadium for a final, if it looks like the FIFA training ground, decadence," one fan commented on X, while another said: "Poor stadium."

Despite their opponent's unbeaten record this season, Atalanta raced into a 2-0 lead.

Ademola Lookman opened the scoring when he converted a cross at the back post, before he unleashed an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner after nutmegging an opponent.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Europa League, Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Football, Fan Reactions