BILBAO’S biggest security operation ever is underway as over 70,000 Brit’s are flooding the Spanish city to witness the ultimate Spurs vs Manchester United showdown.
Spanish security officials on high alert have deployed a ring of steel to fortify the San Mames Stadium as brawls have broken out and streets trashed ahead of the final.
Gun-wielding cops walk through Bilbao ahead of the Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United matchReuters
Tottenham Hotspur fans standing on top of traffic lights in BilbaoGetty
GettyManchester United fans gather to show their support to their team[/caption]
Specialist officers protect Manchester United squad before crunch finalUEFA via Getty Images
Thousands of charged footie fans have already flooded the streets of sunny Bilbao in good spirits with drinks flowing.
But overnight fiery clashes and ugly brawls between the two fan bases broke out – with hooligans expected to sow chaos ahead of the final today.
To counter this, Spanish authorities have deployed more than 3,000 gun-wielding cops to oversee three security rings around the stadium.
One will sit in the immediate perimeter, another on the esplanade in front of the stadium, and the final near the Sabino Arana area.
Access will be restricted to only ticket holders and local residents as fears loom those without a seat in the final will attempt to illegally enter the stadium.
Each club has millions of fans across the globe, but there are just 15,000 tickets allocated to each team for the 53,000-capacity stadium.
A 10-foot high fence has been erected around the site, with border controls reinforced by the Spanish National Police.
Fan zones equipped with giant screens and more than 60,000 litres of beer have been set up outside the city centre to attract fans without tickets away from the security perimeter.
To minimise the risk of confrontations, the two sets of fans will be kept in separate areas – 1.5 miles apart – before kickoff.
Sniffer dog units have also been deployed, with rigorous searches to be constantly conducted on fans.
Police clashing with fans earlier this year in a Europa League clash between Athletic Bilbao and AS RomaAP
GettyA Tottenham Hotspur fan wearing a shirt reading ‘Bilbao 25’ poses for a photo[/caption]
Dave CourtnadgeBilbao cops have launched the ‘biggest security operation ever’[/caption]
Dave CourtnadgeRoads have been shut off ahead of tonight’s game[/caption]
The Basque Government’s security minister has admitted that the clash is “the greatest security challenge” they have had to face.
Bingen Zupiria revealed that the security measures being deployed surpassed the ones taken for the Tour De France.
He told SER Deportivos Bilbao that “we are constantly reviewing the operation,” adding that the UEFA, UK police and the clubs involved are working together with Basque authorities to maximise safety.
But this hasn’t settled the security chief’s nerves, as he confessed: “I won’t hide the fact that I’m nervous; this job generates moments of anxiety.”
Cops in Bilbao also made an unusual trip to Wembley to meet with their British counterparts on how they safely secure the perimeter of the national stadium.
New security measures had been introduced at the London stadium following crowd troubles in the European Championship final of 2021.
Officers from the Met Police and Greater Manchester Police met with UEFA and local cops last week as they all look to avoid issues encountered at the hands of English fans at the 2022 Champions League final in Paris, as well as the 2023 final in Istanbul.
UEFA has previously praised host cities like Dublin for their management of such a gargantuan event, with the Basque Government hoping Bilbao will be the latest successful host.
GettyTottenham Hotspur fan Jangwon Son plays the trumpet ahead of the UEFA Europa League Final[/caption]
GettyTottenham Hotspur enjoy the atmosphere ahead of the final[/caption]
ReutersTottenham Hotspur fans in the streets of Bilbao[/caption]
Security chief Zupiria added: “We’re going to need patience, citizen collaboration, and common sense.”
Bilbao mayor Juan Mari Aburto said on Tuesday: “We are very excited and proud to host this game. We want [English fans] to see what we are like, the passion we feel, the good values of football and our culture.”
Just yesterday, shocking footage emerged showing a brutal clash between the fans of the two football clubs.
In the video, a large group of hooligans are seen brawling as they throw objects and punches at each other.
Witnesses say the fight broke out when two large groups of supporters began shouting and hurling insults.
XShocking footage shows Man Utd and Spurs fans brawl in the streets of San Sebastian[/caption]
XThis football hooligan is pictured picking up a wheelie bin before throwing it at the opposing fans[/caption]
XFootball fans can be seen hurling whatever they can get their hands on during the vicious brawl[/caption]
It quickly escalated into a full-blown brawl, with both Man Utd and Spurs fans grabbing whatever they could to throw at each other.
One hooligan overturned a terrace table and used it as a weapon against the other group.
Drinks and bins were also hurled, creating a chaotic scene that posed a serious risk to local businesses and passersby.
Several local police patrols rushed to the scene after reports of the brawl and quickly restored order.
Meanwhile, charged-up Brits who flocked to the sunny Spanish city have kicked off the party before the stellar finale.
Some are braving an epic 32-hour-plus ferry ride which set sail at 10pm on Sunday evening and won’t arrive until 8am on Tuesday morning.
With flights to Spain rocketing over £1,000 after the Prem teams sealed their final spots, many took advantage of the cheaper sea-route option, which set them back £260 for a cabin.
The sky-high air prices are due to just six direct flights from Britain to the Basque region’s industrial port city each day.
And with only 65 hotels in Spain’s tenth largest city, accommodation has been fully-booked for weeks.
Precious tickets to the big game were selling on the black market for up to £10,000.
EasyJet was charging £1,823 to fly from Gatwick to Bilbao on Wednesday morning and return on Thursday morning, while the cheapest hotels for Wednesday night cost around £1,200.
But for those fans who managed to snap up the golden tickets, footage has shown them enjoying themselves.
A Bilbao bar was flooded with Brit fans chanting and drinking ahead of the anticipated final.
Spurs fans were also seen welcoming the team bus as it arrived in the city one day before the clash.
Footage taken by The Sun showed fans arriving to fill the streets of Bilbao about 40 hours before kick-off.
Both sets of supporters have been pictured marching through the streets, chanting songs with beers in hand as they gear up for the Europa League final.
Aside from European glory, the victorious team qualifies for next season’s cash-riddled Champions League, worth a cool £100m to the club lifting the prized trophy.
Footie fanatics get the party started early
By Sun man in Bilbao, Dave Courtnadge
IT’S barely midday in Bilbao on the day before the Europa League final between Manchester United and Spurs – but it’s already getting lively.
I arrived in the city at about 9am after a 32-HOUR ferry ride from Portsmouth.
And the first thing a lot of fellow fans planned to do was find a pub for a well-earned drink.
Walking around the area around the San Mames stadium this morning, a fair few others had the same idea.
Many have had long journeys, stopping off overnight in another city to keep down the soaring cost of getting here, with some direct flights over £1,000.
So it’s no surprise many are already getiing the party started, or the Bilbao leg of the party anyway.
Spurs fan Gary, who flew out from London before an overnight stay in a Madrid hotel resembling a “prison cell”, joked as he supped a pint in the sun: “I’m just getting some practice in for tomorrow.”
The atmosphere has been brilliant so far, and hopefully that will continue.
There had been claims that Spurs fans are set to outnumber United fans by 5 to 1, with an estimated 50,000 supporters of the two English sides expected to arrive.
One Tottenham follower I spoke to joked that they had bought all the flights out of London to keep the Reds out.
Based on the number of Spurs shirts I’ve already seen, he might be right.
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