The city of Bilbao has put Lyon to shame with a classy gesture that Manchester United fans will greatly appreciate ahead of the Europa League final.
Manchester United are gearing up for their fourth final in three seasons, with Rúben Amorim’s team set to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on 21 May in Bilbao.
United have reached three domestic finals in recent years — winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024 under Erik ten Hag, while suffering defeat to Manchester City in the 2023 FA Cup final.
Despite their progress in Europe, this season has been far from convincing. United currently sit 16th in the Premier League, with poor performances and shock results clouding their campaign.
A win in Bilbao would not only bring silverware but also secure Champions League football and hand Amorim a significant boost heading into the summer.
United fans have had it rough in Europe this season
Across the last eight months of the Europa League campaign, United fans have not had an easy ride.
While on-the-pitch results have been good in Europe, with United let to lose a game in the competition this season, fans have had to undergo some pretty hefty travel problems, with the most significant being the issues they faced during the quarter-final first leg in Lyon.
Access to the stadium in France was a nightmare when the travelling United fans were forced to travel to the Eurexpo Conference Centre, over 10km from the ground, to collect wristbands ahead of the game. It was a shambles, and fans were far from pleased.
Following this, footage emerged showing United fans being tear-gassed in the away end at the Groupama Stadium despite not causing any trouble beyond the usual football-supporting antics.
Bilbao have made a classy gesture ahead of the Europa League final
The final is one of the most important fixtures in both United and Spurs’ respective histories, with tensions no doubt set to be high in the Estadio de San Mamés.
However, the city of Bilbao have made a very classy gesture toward both teams ahead of the tie, with both sets of fans set to be handed the freedom of the city with no restrictions ahead of the game, putting the decisions made by Lyon authorities in April to shame.
According to El Correo, who have covered the security measures in place ahead of the final, security advisor Bingen Zupiria has promised that although plans are in place to make sure no fans meet in the entrance to the stadium, they will not be restricted elsewhere.
The plan involves setting up two separate fan zones in different parts of the city. Tottenham supporters will be directed to the Amezola area, while Manchester United fans will gather at Etxebarria Park. In addition, an official UEFA Fan Zone will be located at the Arenal stadium.
With the fixture not deemed to be a high-risk affair by UEFA and no hooligans expected, Zupiria made a statement confirming said news. “All English fans will be free to move around Bilbao and mingle if they wish,” Zupiria explained.
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“The Ertzaintza officials were more afraid of other fans than these. We have an opportunity for the thousands of people who will visit us to leave with a wonderful impression.
Here, everyone who visits us will have freedom of movement to move around the city if they want to mingle with the other fans. The most critical moment, which is the one we must take care of, is access to and inside the stadium.”
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