- Around 80,000 fans are expected in the Spanish city for the final on May 21
- Supporters of both sides have already faced extortionate flight and hotel prices
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Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur fans attending the Europa League final in Bilbao are facing further travel chaos as one of the city’s main stations will be closed on the day of the match.
Supporters of both sides have already had to fork out for expensive flights and hotels to get to the Spanish city for the clash at San Mames on May 21.
Authorities are expecting more than 80,000 fans in Bilbao for the final – thousands of whom will be without tickets.
Each club has been allocated nearly 15,000 seats but many more are set to travel to soak up the atmosphere and be part of a momentous occasion for both sides.
Those in the city will have to find alternative routes to the stadium as San Mames metro station, which serves the stadium, will be closed from 3pm on matchday.
It comes amid fears of a ‘crush’ and overcrowding at the station, according to Bilbao daily newspaper El Correo.
Bilbao is preparing for a British invasion for next week’s Europa League final between Man United and Spurs
The main metro station which serves San Mames will be shut on the day of the match
The publication reported that it would be the first time the station will be fully shut on the day of a major event, with fans not allowed to enter or exit.
More frequent trains will run on the metro until 3am, while the stadium is within walking distance from the city centre.
But the closure adds to the issues supporters will encounter when they are in the city.
Local authorities will aim to keep United and Spurs fans apart on the day of the match. Their respective fan zones are on opposite sides of the relatively small city to prevent mixing before the game.
Residents are braced for an invasion the likes of which they have ‘never faced’ before, according to reports in Spain, with El Correo suggesting that Man United and Spurs fans are set to ‘colonise’ the Basque city.
Fans are set to spend thousands on flights and accommodation, with airlines and hoteliers hiking up the price to capitalise on demand.
Direct return flights to Bilbao are available but are costing up to £1,700, according to Skyscanner.
Fans may have spotted a more cost-effective method of travel and booked an £108 one-way coach – but the 26-hour journey time and fixed London departure may not appeal to the majority of travelling fans.
United fans will return to Bilbao having beaten Athletic Club in the semi-finals
Spanish outlet El Correo talk of ‘colonisation’ while some hotels, including Letoh Letoh (right), have raised their prices
Other supporters may be making the journey by car, but could still face just under £200-worth of costs, with journeying through the pricey Channel Tunnel the only fastest route available.
When in Bilbao, the city is likely to be overflowing, with El Correo citing the hotel industry’s ability to sleep just 15,000 people in their 5,000 hotel rooms.
Prices for rooms of any kind have soared ahead of next Wednesday’s showpiece, with almost every hotel in the city reportedly sold out, and those available priced some way above their regular value.
The winner of the final will also qualify for next season’s Champions League.
