The capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia, Seville, expects to receive up to 100,000 visitors throughout this week. With the sun peeking out and the heat drenching foreheads —weather forecasts predict that thermometers will reach 40 degrees this Friday in the south of the country—, it could seem like a typical scene of the prelude to summer in one of the favorite destinations of Europeans . However, these tourists will not be decked out in hats, sunglasses, tank tops and sandals; They will wear the kit of their football team.
Thousands of Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers fans have already invaded the streets of Seville before the Europa League final that the Germans and Scots will play this Wednesday at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium. Local authorities expect some 100,000 fans to flock to the city, most of whom will arrive without tickets to attend the football match. The two finalist clubs were allocated just 10,000 tickets, while the mecca of Sevilla FC has a capacity for 42,000 spectators.
Eintracht Frankfurt, which already lifted the Europa League in 1980, when it was called the UEFA Cup, is not a novice institution in mass mobilization. More than 20,000 German fans accessed the Camp Nou to witness the quarter-final match against FC Barcelona, when only 5,000 of them had tickets. Far from being relegated to a secondary and contemplative role, the fans of 'the eagles', dressed in scarves and white shirts, made Oliver Glasner's players feel at home.
Given the success of the nomadic movement, some 10,000 Eintracht Frankfurt fans traveled to London to try to conquer the London Stadium, home of West Ham United, in the semifinals of the Europa League. However, the Hammers had learned their lesson and, before putting the tickets on sale, they warned that they would penalize any member who resold their ticket to a German fan with the withdrawal of their subscription for the rest of the season and for the next campaign. Although the visitors took the victory 1-2, the stands only received around 3,000 visiting fans.
For their part, Rangers are pursuing their second European title, having won the extinct Cup Winners' Cup in 1972. In 2008, the Scots reached the UEFA Cup final, but were defeated 2-0 by Zenit Saint Petersburg. “I'm hoping to get a ticket for around 1,782 euros,” Greg Coote, a light blues aficionado, told Reuters on Monday. He had arrived in Seville from Glasgow, after stopping in Newcastle and Faro (Portugal).
"I was lucky because I booked my trip before the semi-finals, but people are having a hard time finding a way to get here and back home," he explained. Accommodation prices in Seville for Tuesday and Wednesday nights range between 650 and 1,500 euros per room in a three-star hotel. The City Council of the city of Seville foresees a full occupation with an economic impact of around 60 million euros. On the other hand, more than 5,500 policemen will be in charge of patrolling the streets on the date indicated.
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