THE MOST prestigious match in European club football will return to Wembley following a 19-year absence after Uefa chose the stadium to stage the 2011 Champions League final.

England Football Association chairman Lord Triesman said: “We are delighted that Uefa have chosen Wembley Stadium to stage the Champions League final in 2011.

“This is fantastic news for London and the UK and is acknowledgement of Wembley’s ranking alongside the very best football stadiums in the world.”

Wembley’s win is Arsenal’s loss, and the Emirates Stadium had been up against Lansdowne Road for the Europa League showpiece.

The rules are that one nation cannot stage both Uefa finals in the same year.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Arsenal for all their valuable support during the bid process and recognise the very strong bid that they put together,” Triesman said.

London mayor Boris Johnson also welcomed the announcement.

“It is splendid news,” he said. “There is a huge sense of excitement and passion in London for sports and indeed for the ‘beautiful game’ of football. London is delighted to have been successful in the bid to host the 2011 final and Wembley is a suitably dramatic and superb backdrop for the event.”

The final will return to Britain for the first time since 2003 when AC Milan defeated Juventus at Old Trafford, and to Wembley Stadium for the first time since 1992, when Barcelona beat Sampdoria in the European Cup final during the season before the competition became the Champions League.

Munich will stage the Champions League final in 2012 and Bucharest’s National Stadium the Europa League final in that year.