The desperation in Madrid for Champions League final tickets is proving to be almost as palpable as the desire of Liverpool and Tottenham fans to see their team lift the trophy itself.
Entry to the first all-English final since 2008 is proving to be so elusive that one Tottenham fan is willing to part with £10,000 to watch the action unfold. It may be the sun and sangria talking, but he is not alone.
Both teams have only been given a combined allocation of 32,000 so it is no wonder Spanish authorities say the majority of fans are arriving ticketless.
Samy Darwish is one of thousands of fans in Madrid without a Champions League final ticket
Mr Darwish, a dentist, flies from Dubai to Liverpool for every home match but still missed out
Both teams have an allocation of 16,000 tickets but the demand is definitely tenfold that figure
Desperate fans are strolling around the city centre, sipping beer and asking passers-by for that all elusive ticket while others wore t-shirts or held placards declaring: ‘I need a ticket.’
British touts huddled on street corners offering tickets for eye-watering amounts, with some asking for £10,000. But with rumours abound that there are many fakes circulating, there were few takers.
For some fans, there was already heart break even before a ball has been kicked.
Samy Darwish, a Liverpool season ticket holder for 41 years, missed out on a ticket after the club ruled that he did not qualify for one because he had not been to an away Champions League match.
Mr Darwish, a dentist, flies from his home in Dubai to Liverpool for every home match and has also attended every Champions League home game the team has played.
Standing in the centre of Madrid’s Puerta de Sol square, wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with: ‘I need a ticket’ he moaned: ‘I’m devastated. I couldn’t believe the club said I didn’t deserve a ticket for the final.
‘I even wrote to Peter Moore, the Liverpool chief executive but he said they couldn’t help me. I spend thousands of pounds each season watching my beloved team. I decided to come to Madrid without a ticket because I hope somebody takes pity on me.’
Tottenham fan John Burt is willing to pay somebody £7,000 for a ticket to the European clash
Tottenham and Liverpool meet in the all-English final at Atletico Madrid’s home on Saturday
Tottenham fan John Burt from Bagshot, Surrey revealed that he had set himself a budget of £7,000 to buy a blackmarket ticket.
But he admitted: ‘If somebody offers me a genuine ticket, I might even pay £10,000. I’ve been watching Spurs for 40 years and I never dreamed that we would be in a Champions League final. This is a once in a life time opportunity.’
Mr Burt, aged 54, added: ‘I’m a single man and Tottenham is the only wife I’ve got. She’s worth spending this money on.’
With direct flights to Madrid costing in excess of £1,000 and virtually every hotel room in the city sold out, many fans have been creative in their travel plans and how they will stay.
Many drove from England or flew in to other Spanish cities and even neighbouring countries, making their way to Madrid by bus, car or train. Some fans had also erected tents in one of the city’s major parks while others were preparing to bed down for the night on the pavement.
Liverpool fan Tony Fisher, who arrived via Italy on a budget airline said: ‘I had to take out a pay day loan to get here. I haven’t got any money for a hotel and not much for food either. But I just wanted to be in Madrid and be part of the occasion. It’s nice and warm, I’ll just sleep where I can.’
Liverpool and Tottenham fans have started to arrive in their droves ahead of the huge game
An estimated 70,000 fans are to make the trip from the UK to the Wanda Metropoliano stadium
Despite the carnival atmosphere ahead of the first all English Champions League final since 2008, Spanish police have initiated the largest ever security operation for a sporting event in the city’s history. The level of anti-terrorism alert currently in the country is four on a scale of five, which implies a high risk of an attack.
An estimated 4,700 police, some of them armed, are on duty while drones are being employed to keep an eye on potential trouble makers drinking in Madrid’s narrow side streets.
Heavy vehicles will be barred from driving near the stadium and designated fan zones for 24 hours starting at 8am on Saturday to prevent a ‘Nice-style’ attack and all police leave in the Spanish capital has been cancelled.
While there has been no history of major trouble by Tottenham or Liverpool fans during this season’s Champions League run or in recent seasons, authorities are leaving nothing to chance.
Officers from Scotland Yard and Merseyside Police have shared intelligence with their Spanish counterparts on potential hooligans and facial recognition technology will also be on hand to keep them at bay.
A Liverpool supporter sits ina bar at Plaza Mayor square in the hear of the Spanish capital
With temperatures soaring to around 30 degrees, fans were seen lapping up the sunshine
An estimated 70,000 fans of both teams are expected to descend on the Spanish capital for the all English affair of European football’s top competition.
But thousands have already taken over central Madrid, mingling with locals in the city’s principal squares which have been transformed into a ‘festival of football,’ offering music, food and drink that helped generate a boisterous, carnival atmosphere.
The festivities kicked off on Thursday when the Champions League trophy was paraded through Madrid and put on public display. Fans queued for hours in temperatures touching 30 C for the opportunity to have a selfie taken with European football’s leading prize.
A giant replica of the Champions League trophy was also on display outside Madrid’s royal palace while fans thronged the city’s Plaza Mayor, where a mini football stadium has been erected, giving them an opportunity to play and take part in other football activities.
A series of concerts featuring some of Spain’s leading DJs and singers also helped to keep fans occupied but the majority decided to make the most of the city’s atmospheric bars which were doing a roaring trade, helped partly by Spain’s reasonably priced alcohol.
‘We’re having a great time. The sun’s out and the beer’s cheap, what more could you ask for?’ said Tottenham fan Gary Withers from Enfield, north London.