FCBARCELONA.CAT

27.05.2009 12:11

Barça fans invade Rome

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Just a few hours away from kick-off, the streets of Rome are beginning to fill with Barça fans. The UEFA Champions Festival is the most popular rendezvous.

From the Coliseum to the Trevi Fountain via the Piazza di Spagna and the Piazza Venezia. From every corner of the city floods of Barça fans with replica shirts, scarves and flags are congregating ahead of tonight’s long awaited final. And of course as we are here in Rome, the capital of the ancient Roman Empire, there is no shortage of the famous Roman helmets!

Staggered arrival

Planeloads of fans have been arriving from Barcelona since first thing this morning. Most of them have gone straight from Fiumicino airport to the centre of the city. Then there are the many fans that have arrived by coach. The majority of the Barça fans – some 20,000 – are therefore already here in Rome.

UEFA Champions Festival

While some fans have taken the opportunity to do some sightseeing others have made their way to the UEFA Champions Festival, located very close to the Arco Di Costantino. Here there is a variety of activities for both sets of fans to enjoy, including a veterans match featuring Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit.

Queues for a photo

The longest queues at the UEFA Champions Festival are to have a photo taken together with a replica of the trophy. There is also plenty of interest in the official UEFA shop where the fans are snapping up souvenirs of the two clubs.