Spanish police to fly drone over Wanda Metropolitano ahead of Champions League final between Tottenham and Liverpool as part of measures hoping to minimise trouble at ‘high-risk’ game
- Spanish police will fly a drone over the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday night
- It comes as part of measures hoped to minimise risk at Champions League final
- Liverpool and Tottenham fans will have to go through three security checkpoints
- An estimated 70,000 fans have travelled from the UK to Madrid for the game
Spanish police will fly a drone over the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid ahead of Saturday night’s Champions League final.
The pioneering measure – the first-time a drone will be used as part of a security operation at a sporting event in Spain – was announced by Spanish authorities as part of a package of measures designed to minimise trouble at the ‘high-risk’ match.
An estimated 70,000 fans have travelled from the UK to Madrid along with British expats from all over Spain.
Police will fly a drone over the Wanda Metropolitano before the Champions League final
It is the first-time a drone will be used during a security operation at a Spanish sporting event
A staggering 4,700 security officials – 4,200 National Police plus local police, Civil Guard and members of other emergency services including firefighters and the Red Cross – have been mobilised.
The Liverpool fan zone is in Madrid’s Felipe II Square and Tottenham’s in Colon Square.
Maria Paz Garcia, Madrid’s central government representative, went public with details of the security operation after a meeting with the heads of Spain’s police forces and other officials including a representative from Atletico de Madrid, who play at the Wanda Metropolitano.
She said: ‘The operation is tailored to the needs and characteristics of the event.
‘It’s been declared high-risk and we are at terrorist alert level four.
‘The operation is not just limited to the city of Madrid, but also to the rest of the country.’ The stadium doors will not be opened till 6pm – three hours before the start of the match and an hour after alcohol sales are suspended in the two fan zones.
Liverpool and Tottenham fans will have to go through three security checkpoints at the ground
An estimated 70,000 fans have travelled from the UK to Madrid for the huge European clash
Fans reaching the Wanda Metropolitano will have to pass through three security filters.
One will be a physical barrier designed to stop lorries and other vehicles carrying bombs and the second will be manned by police who will search supporters for dangerous objects including flares and make sure they have tickets. The third will be manned by private stadium security officials who will also search fans and check they have tickets.
Spanish National Police Director General Francisco Pardo Piqueras said of the use of the drone, which will be employed around the stadium hosting the final: ‘We are going to use a drone for the first time for the purposes of aerial control of the stadium and the surrounding area and to be more efficient.’
Around 16,000 supporters from each team are expected to fly to Madrid with match tickets.
Thousands more are due to travel to the Spanish capital without tickets for the game.