The Polish port city of Gdansk is preparing for the arrival of the teams and supporters of Spain’s Villarreal and England’s Manchester United for the Europa League final, set to be played in the city’s stadium on Wednesday evening. Flags and decorations can be seen across the city’s historic Old Town and along major streets as match day approaches.
A giant replica of the Europa League trophy was unveiled on Saturday in the Old Town with many residents gathering there to take pictures.
The match presented a great opportunity to showcase what the city has to offer and its stadium, resident Klaudina Wojcik said.
“It’s like a great opportunity to see this in Gdansk, because Gdansk is a beautiful city and we have a really great stadium here, and I think people just arriving here to the Tricity zone will see how much is happening in this city and we are really excited for the game.” commented a resident of Gdańsk, Klaudyna Wójcik.
Restaurant terraces and beer gardens have been open since May 15 in Poland as part of a relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions. Supporters will also be able to gather in fan zones located at either end of the Old Town.
The Europa League final will be allowed to host up to 9,500 spectators after Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA said it had received approval from the Polish authorities.
The final will be held at the city’s Stadion Miejski at a stadium capacity of 25%, with both finalists receiving 2,000 tickets each and 2,000 tickets to be offered to the general public.
The remaining tickets will be allocated to the local organising committee, UEFA and national associations, commercial partners and broadcasters.