The Chicago Fire Soccer Club’s partner club Atlético Madrid will compete in the 2012 UEFA Europa League final at the Arena Națională in Bucharest, Romania on Wednesday, May 9. In an all Spanish final, Atlético Madrid will challenge Athletic Bilbao for the championship.
Atlético Madrid qualified for the final with a 1-0 victory over Valencia on April 26, advancing easily with an aggregate score of 5-2.
Formerly known as the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Europa League is Europe’s secondary club tournament. The winner of the UEFA Europa League final will play against the winner of the Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich UEFA Champions League final for the 2012 UEFA Super Cup.
On September 20, 2011 the Chicago Fire, in conjunction with Atlético Madrid, Club América and Sport Club Internacional announced a strategic alliance enabling for greater relationships between the Fire and its partner clubs in Spain, Mexico and Brazil. The new strategic alliance of Clubs, signed into agreement in Porto Alegre, Brazil brings together clubs in the spirit of creating synergy as it relates to the growth of soccer on-the-field and off, while integrating different cultures and sporting and commercial club practices within eight clubs on five different continents.
