As Italians and Germans prepare for the Europa League Final, the Irish – and the odd Liverpool fan – might also attend today’s match.
Italy's Atalanta will face up against Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen at the Aviva Stadium at 8pm this evening.
Expected attendance is over 38,000, with many fans having already made their way to Dublin in the past few days.
Dublin Castle has become a micro-festival for fans ahead of the final, with Germans, Italians and Irishmen alike celebrating the beautiful game.
😂 Everton legend Gareth Farrelly hits Liverpool’s David James square in the face in Dublin’s #EuropaLeague Fan Zone 5 a sides at #DublinCastle #UELfinal pic.twitter.com/E9Q2MKLuct
— Tom Flynn (@tomflynn_photo) May 22, 2024
Leverkusen fan Sebastian arrived in Dublin from Düsseldorf yesterday and has spent today at a bar on O’Connell Street.
He told Lunchtime Live he expects around 11,000 Leverkusen fans to attend tonight’s match.
“I booked the flight in December in a euphoric situation when we won 25 games in a row,” he said.
Irish-German journalist Barbara McCarthy only got her ticket last week but is ready to support her fellow countrymen.
“Leverkusen has been around for 100 years, and they only won the [Bundesliga] for the first time this year,” she said.
“They are [this year] unbeaten in the league, unbeaten in the Europa League and unbeaten in the cup so they have a chance for the treble.
“There are 80-year-old fans beside themselves.”
It’s shaping up to be a busy day welcoming lots of visiting football fans ahead of tonight’s big final - get in early to secure your seats 🍻#theaulddubliner #pub #templebar #dublin #dublinpubs #uefa #europaleaguefinal pic.twitter.com/tTFUeEUTzk
— Auld Dubliner (@TheAuldDub_) May 22, 2024
Gianluca has lived in Dublin for the last eight years and is delighted to bring his parents to the Europa League Final to support Atalanta.
“I walked out the door today and [Dublin] was full of people from Bergamo,” he said.
“It was wonderful to see a lot of people from my hometown because of the match – [our] first European final ever.”
Tifosi der #Atalanta im Temple-Bar-Viertel. pic.twitter.com/vueE0u63yE
— BILD B. Leverkusen (@BILD_Bayer04) May 22, 2024
Beyond Italian and German fans, it is expected there will be a large Irish cohort in the Aviva this evening after Dublin was picked to host the final.
Ms McCarthy said she knows many people who have got tickets and more who are considering getting any remainders.
“It’s a big occasion and tickets aren’t too expensive,” she said.
As Liverpool in the UK were expected to head to this year’s Europa League Final, Ms McCarthy predicted there “will be the odd Liverpool fan” in the crowd tonight.
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