Seville ready to host thousands of fans ahead of Europa League final
It looked like a regular busy Monday afternoon in sunny
Seville, with tourists crowding the streets like they normally do in a city
that is one of Europe's top destinations.
But unlike most days of the year, thousands of football fans
clad in either blue or black jerseys could be seen packed into the bars and
restaurants.
Thousands of Rangers and Eintracht Frankfurt fans made their
presence felt in southern Spain's largest city ahead of Wednesday's Europa
League final.
Local authorities expect around 100,000 fans to turn up in
the city, with the majority arriving without tickets for the big game. The two
finalists were allocated only 10,000 tickets each for the showpiece match at
42,000 capacity Pizjuan Stadium.
Rangers, beaten in the 2008 Europa League final by Zenit St
Petersburg, are hoping to win their first European silverware in 50 years
following their success in the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup in 1972.
Eintracht Frankfurt are bidding to end their 42-year barren
run in Europe, having won the Europa League when it was called the UEFA Cup in
1980.
"I'm hoping to get a ticket for £1,500 (US$1,850),"
Greg Coote, an excited Rangers fan, told Reuters on Monday.
He arrived from Glasgow on Sunday after stops in Newcastle
and Faro before finally getting to Seville.
"I was lucky because I booked my trip before the
semi-finals. But people are really struggling to find a way to get here and go
back home."
Coote said he was sharing an apartment with three friends for
£1,600 for four nights. A quick search for a room in Seville for Tuesday or
Wednesday showed prices going from £650-£1,500 (US$678-US$1,565) for a night in
a three-star hotel.
Seville City Council anticipates full hotel occupancy with an
economic impact at around €60 million for the city.
More than 5,500 police officers will be guarding the streets,
while a fan-zone at Plaza de Espana will be able to hold just 4,000 people.
To avoid confrontations, the two fan bases will be kept apart
in two separate areas 5.5km apart.
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