A tsunami of English fans, more than 55,000 according to municipal estimates, has colonized on Wednesday the Biscay capital in a festive atmosphere and without remarkable incidents, waiting for the final of the European League on Wednesday.
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United fans, who will face nine o'clock at San Mamés, have crowded throughout the day the main leisure and 'poto' spaces of the city, as well as the 'fan zones' installed in Ametzola for the Londoners and in the Etxebarria park for those of United, most perfectly identified by their white and red t -shirts, respectively.
Although thousands of British fans have already traveled on Tuesday, the massive arrival by land and air has occurred throughout this morning, in which the sun and pleasant temperatures have allowed all of them to take to the streets to exhibit their passion for a dream that they hope to materialize tonight.
About 2,000 agents of the Ertzaintza and the Local Police integrate a wide security device that has armored the city, especially the environment of San Mamés, protected with three security rings that will have to overcome fans to access the stadium.
In anticipation that incidents may occur at that time or after the party, the Basque Government keeps the Euskadi Civil Protection Plan (Labi) active in its alert phase, which involves permanent monitoring of the situation to respond to possible emergencies that may arise.
The Basque Security Councilor, Bingen Zupiria, has expressed his satisfaction for the festive behavior shown so far by the “vast majority” of the English fans displaced to the Basque Country and has limited the incidents to two traffic lights torn, some “punctual confrontation” in San Sebastián and “some robberies.”
The Lehendakari, Imanol Pradales, who last night presided over a dinner with UEFA managers in Bilbao, has joined the acts on Wednesday looking at a Basque team shirt, the officially called 'Euskal Selekzoa', with his name, 'Imanol', behind the back included, in a match 'Legends' organized by the final.
Next to Pradales, they came out to the makeshift pitch in the central Arriaga Plaza of the Biscay capital, accompanying the two teams of legends, the 'Basque Legends and the' UEFA Legends', the also legendary former player of Athletic Aritz Aduriz.
The UEFA team had as the main star the Sevillista Jesús Navas, whom they accompanied Tomasz Kuszczak, Steffen Freund, Nani, Faouzi Ghoulam and Răzvan Raț, while the Basque Legends team was made up of former soccer players Gorka Iraizoz, Carlos Martínez, Mikel Baleziaga, Beñat Etxebarria, Xabi Prieto, Markel Susaeta and Gaizka Toquero.
