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 Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium where the amped-up final will take place.
Thousands of charged footie fans have already flooded the streets of sunnyin good spirits with drinks flowing.
And fears of have never been higher – with hooligans expected to sow chaos during the final.
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 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.
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 .
He told SER Deportivos Bilbao that “we are constantly reviewing the operation,”;; adding that the , 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 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 stadium following crowd troubles in the European final of 2021.
Officers from the Met Police and Greater 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 , as well as the 2023 final in Istanbul.
UEFA has previously praised host cities like for their management of such a gargantuan event, with the Basque Government hoping Bilbao will be the latest successful host.
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 and our culture.”;;
Just yesterday, between the fans of the two football clubs.
In the video, a large group of 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.
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.
and bins were also hurled, creating a chaotic scene that posed a serious risk to local businesses and passersby.
Several localpatrols 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 bravingwhich set sail at 10pm on Sunday evening and won’t arrive until 8am on Tuesday morning.
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’sindustrial port city each day.
And with only 65in 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.
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 fornextseason’s cash-riddled, worth a cool £100m to the club lifting the prized trophy.
