As many as 40,000 foreign tourists are expected in Bucharest, on May 9th, to watch the UEFA Europa League final, organized on the National Arena and tens of millions of people worldwide will watch the match on television, announced Bucharest Mayor Sorin Oprescu.

The general mayor also referred to the operation to replace the stadium lawn turf, saying it will be accomplished in a month, at the most.

Mayor Sorin Oprescu and Director of Investment Division Bogdan Hreapca said that the lawn turf is not guaranteed, but assured that it will be in best conditions when the football match will be played on May 9. According to Hreapca, the current lawn turf could have been further used, if it were not for the Europa League final.

"In the agreement with UEFA it is stipulated that we must come up with a perfect lawn turf", Hreapca specified.

He added that the way it happens on all the great stadiums of the world, especially those with retractable roofs, the lawn turf is changed periodically because its surface is no longer naturally lighted.

The lawn turf will cost about one million euros, money to be provided by Bucharest City Hall and it will be brought from the Netherlands.

"The National Arena Stadium is approved by UEFA, the only intervention being the temporary expansion of locations for the teams, the mass-media, because it will be a triple TV production", Oprescu also said.

The Mayor General also noted the safety measures to be taken for this final, and that talks this topic will be started next week with the competent state bodies, respectively the Gendarmerie and the Police. The mayor said that there will be also talks with the agencies in charge of the tourists' accommodation, who will come to see the final.

"At the same time, we will facilitate people's transport to the stadium, which will be monitored", Oprescu added.

The meeting was attended by the president of the Romanian Football Federation, Mircea Sandu.