Thousands of football fans have begun arriving in Madrid ahead of Saturday’s all-English Champions League final – but have been warned any disorder will be dealt with “robustly” by police.
Many Liverpool and Tottenham supporters have turned up in the Spanish capital without a match ticket, battling surging travel prices and a shortage of reasonably priced accommodation to spend the weekend taking in the atmosphere on what could be a memorable Saturday night for their respective clubs.
Both teams have received around 16,000 tickets apiece for the match – deemed the greatest spectacle in European club football – with more than 20,000 going to sponsors and partners at the near-64,000-capacity Wanda Metropolitano.
Teams have been assigned separate fan zones so supporters without a ticket are able to soak in the atmosphere on what is expected to be a sweltering few days in Spain.
Huge screens, stages and pop-up bars have also been erected in plazas across the city as part of a “festival” celebrating the sport.
But fans have been told the screens will not show the match live, meaning many will likely cram into packed-out bars well in advance of the 8pm (BST) kick-off to catch the action.
Extra police officers from London and Merseyside have also been drafted in to assist their Spanish counterparts in dealing with the influx of British supporters.
Superintendent Nick Collins, the Metropolitan Police’s lead for football policing, said: “This is a historic match for British football and it promises to be a fantastic occasion, and a memorable time for travelling fans.
“A robust policing plan is in place to ensure disruption and any trouble is kept to a minimum, and so fans can focus on enjoying the spectacle.
“We will be assisting our Spanish counterparts. Fans who choose to get involved in disorder should be warned that they can expect to be arrested and dealt with robustly by the Spanish police.”
Fans making the journey from England to the continent have been warned to pack the suncream, with temperatures expected to reach 32C on Saturday.
Met Office forecaster Emma Smith, herself a Liverpool fan from Merseyside, said: “People will need their factor-50 over the next few days.
“It’s going to be warming up in the UK, but it will be even warmer in Spain this weekend.”
Prices for flights and accommodation soared moments after the teams secured their places in the finals.
Charter flights to Madrid were available for around £700 return and hotel rooms in the Spanish capital on the night of the game generally cost more than £1,000.
Non-stop scheduled flights from the UK to Madrid have been hiked to more than £1,300 return, forcing many to book indirect flights at a reduced cost or driving down through Europe.
Press Association