Alcohol ban and increased security in Rome ahead of tonight's Champions League final
Alcohol ban and increased security in Rome ahead of tonight's Champions League final
The Champions League final takes place tonight in Rome, where an alcohol ban has been put in place. An estimated 30,000 Manchester United will descend on Rome to watch the match against Barcelona.
Travellers taking
city breaks in Rome will find the city more crowded than usual. According to The Daily Mail, as well as the 30,000 Manchester United supporters, city officials are expecting an additional 10,000 football fans from Britain without tickets and 20,000 from
Spain.
The
alcohol ban will be enforced until 6am tomorrow morning in Rome city centre and the area surrounding the Stadio Olimpico, where the Champions League final is being played. The city's police chief, Giuseppe Caruso, has appealed to shops, bars, supermarkets and restaurants to stick to the ban, which will affect all visitors to the city, not just those attending the match.
Holidaymakers can also expect to see an increased police presence on the streets - more than 1,500 officers from the police and the
carabinieri gendarmerie will be on duty in the city.
British police officers will also be on patrol, both in uniform and undercover.
Meanwhile, football fans are being warned that many fake
Champions League final tickets are circulating. Genuine tickets are electronic and give access to museums and public transport in Rome.
The Manchester United team arrived in Rome last night and was given a warm welcome, especially Rome born player Federico Macheda. None of the players' partners flew out with them, but is reported they have already started to travel to Rome separately. Pregnant
Coleen Rooney, wife of Wayne Rooney, was joined by other wives and girlfriends as she made her way to the city ahead of tonight's match.
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