English fans swarm Madrid ahead of Champions League final
- Many fans are desperately seeking tickets for the match as temperatures in Madrid sizzle
- Atmosphere building as fans from both sides chant and get into the party mood
Thousands of English football fans draped in their team’s colours gathered in Madrid ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham, many still desperately seeking tickets for the match.
In the central Sol square several men held up handmade signs reading “Buy tickets” as chanting supporters from both sides walked past, many carrying beers, with temperatures already approaching 30 degrees Celsius.
Among them was Kemam Kalkavar, a Turkish engineer and lifelong Liverpool fan who flew from Ankara with a group of friends for the match and was willing to pay €5,000 (US$5,575) for a ticket.
“Watching from inside the stadium is much more exciting. It’s worth it,” the 50-year-old said.
Spanish police on Friday arrested a Venezuelan woman at Sol square who sold two fake tickets to a Romanian national for 4,200 euros per ticket, a police spokesman said.
The authorities expect around 32,000 ticket-holding fans from both teams will attend the match at the 68,000-capacity Metropolitano stadium which will get underway at 9pm local time (3am Sunday morning).