Croke Park will not host Europa League final fan zone

The GAA has confirmed Croke Park will not now be required as a fan zone venue for next week’s Europa League final.

A joint approach had been made to the GAA in March by Dublin City Council and Uefa on the possibility of reserving Croke Park to host a watch party for the Europa League decider – which will be contested by German champions Bayer Leverkusen and Italian outfit Atalanta in the Aviva Stadium next Wednesday night.

The arrangement with Croke Park was always dependent on Liverpool advancing to the final, and with Jürgen Klopp’s side exiting at the quarter-final stages organisers do not believe there will be a need for a watch party venue to cater for ticketless fans.

“There will be no fan zone at Croke Park next week for the Europa League final,” confirmed a GAA spokesperson.

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Croke Park is currently preparing to host a Bruce Springsteen concert on Sunday night.

Uefa will have a pop-up Fan Festival at Dublin Castle next Tuesday and Wednesday – free of charge and open to all ages.

The fan zone will include a 4-a-side mini pitch, interactive games and music while the official Europa League trophy will also be on display. A giant Europa League trophy will also be placed on North Earl Street from next Monday as part of the build-up towards Wednesday’s decider.