Sports on in Europe in May
In contrast to the USA, where different sports options start to thin out toward the middle of the year, May-through-August is when you’ll be most spoilt for choice in Europe. May is dominated by football, but multiple other codes heat up in the coming months in European countries.
Here’s what we have on the sports calendar for anyone lucky enough to be in Europe this month:
Major soccer events in Europe during May
As we mentioned above, May is a huge month for football fans worldwide, as finals for leagues and cup competitions are completed across Europe. If you’d like to save yourself some reading, the phrases “bucket list item” and “tickets won’t be cheap” are likely to appear a few times under the following headings.
UEFA Champions League Final, Kiev, Ukraine, 26 May
“Allez Allez Allez“. It’s been the theme song of Liverpool’s European campaign and they finally get their chance to “conquer all of Europe” on May 26 in Kiev. It won’t be easy, though, up against the biggest football club in the world and back-to-back winners of the Champions League, Real Madrid. Will it be number 6 for the Reds or an incredible 13th title and 3rd in a row for Los Blancos? You can look for Champions League final tickets here.
❤️ Всім чудової п'ятниці! Дякуємо за чудове фото – @berliozpolina #nsc_olympic #нск_фото #нсколімпійський #нсколимпийский
FA Cup Final – Chelsea FC vs Manchester United, London, England, 19 May
Two giants of the English game – Chelsea and Manchester United – clash in the biggest knockout competition in English football at Wembley. Both sides have had largely disappointing seasons, but can Jose Mourinho win against his old side and get yet another trophy for his collection?
For the uninitiated, the FA cup is a huge knockout tournament for English football teams, the format of which has been recreated all around the world: Hundreds of club teams thrown into a massive draw with the chance to play off against internationally renowned clubs. It’s a big deal. You can look for tickets to Chelsea vs Manchester United here.
Sing when you’re winning
UEFA Europa League final – Atletico Madrid vs Olympique De Marseille OM, Lyon, France, 16 May
Atletico Madrid will be trying to make up for the multiple years of heartbreaking losses in Champions League finals to their crosstown rivals. Rumours abound that Antoinne Griezmann is off to Barcelona so this could be his last chance to win some silverware for Aletico Madrid against Marseille, who have been extremely impressive in their run to the final.
The UEFA Europa League is the secondary club competition organised by UEFA in Europe, with clubs qualifying for the competition through their performance in national leagues and cup competitions. The winner of the competition automatically progresses through to the UEFA Champions League Group Stage for next season. You can look for Europa League final tickets here.
DFB Pokal Final – Eintracht Frankfurt vs Bayern Munich, Berlin, Germany, 19 May
This is a German variation of the FA Cup, and this time, you can basically write Bayern Munich‘s name on the trophy before the game starts. The winners of the last 6 Bundesliga titles come up against last year’s DFB Pokal runners-up Eintracht Frankfurt. The all-conquering Bayern, who are 24 points clear on top in the Bundesliga, will be extremely hard to beat. You can look for DFB Pokal final tickets here.
Other picks for May in Europe
French Moto GP, Le Mans, France, 20 May
The French Moto GP is a motorcycling event held in May in Le Mans, a northwestern town of France a couple of hours out of Paris. Aussie Jack Miller will be competing – and if you don’t already, you should follow him on Twitter. He gives refreshingly candid summaries of MotoGP races and his performance in them. His latest post is below. You can look for French Moto GP tickets here.
Definitely content with that and finally getting points at the #SpanishGP, here's my wrap https://t.co/3jR1ysxQWZ
— Jack peter miller (@jackmilleraus) May 6, 2018
French Open (Tennis) – Roland Garros, Paris, France, 28 May – 10 Jun
The French Open, as you probably already know, is the only of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments to be played on clay courts. If you know that much, you probably also know that this clay has been mostly dominated by Rafael Nadal for over a decade. If you’re going to be in Paris around late-May and want to go to Roland Garros, you can look for tickets to Court Phillip Chartrier, the main show court, or Court Suzanne Lenglen.
The Stuff of Dreams – Stress Roland-Garros, terre d’émotions – Stress #RG18
For value
Hertha Berlin vs. Rb Leipzig – Berlin, Germany, 12 May
If the prices to the DFB Pokal final made you spit out your coffee, you can get tickets to a Hertha Berlin game at the same stadium a week earlier for around a tenth of the price. Also – Aussie Mathew Leckie plays for Hertha Berlin, so there’s that connection, too! You can find tickets here.
Mathew #Leckie is part of the @Socceroos' preliminary 32-man squad for this summer's @FIFAWorldCup! #hahohe https://t.co/HzYMPlO6Ys
— Hertha Berlin (@HerthaBSC_EN) May 8, 2018
For something different
Giro D’Italia (Cycling), Italy, 4 – 24 May
If you’re travelling through Italy during May, you can try to visit the route of the Giro D’Italia, one of Cycling’s grand tour races. We often throw in Cycling options in this spot – as it’s a different type of sporting event than we’re used to, and they often come with some vivid, unique scenery, sure to make anyone following your social media accounts jealous.
A beautiful sunny day from Catania to Caltagirone. ☀ | Una splendida giornata di sole ha accompagnato la Carovana da Catania a Caltagirone. ☀. | Un maravilloso día soleado acompañó la caravana de Catania a Caltagirone. ☀ #Giro #Giro101
Anything we missed?
Let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page.
*Note: Thanks to the legend Sean Brown, who also contributed to this post.
The post Sports Calendar: Europe in May appeared first on Sports Where I Am Blog.
This post first appeared on Sports Where I Am Blog - Making Every Game An Event To Remember, please read the originial post: here
