Champions League - Platini appeals for calm

Eurosport - Mon, 25 May 18:08:00 2009

UEFA president Michel Platini appealed to Manchester United and Barcelona fans to turn this week's UEFA Champions League final into a football festival and not tarnish the event with violence.

FOOTBALL, michel platini, uefa - 0

More than 40,000 fans with tickets from England and Spain are expected in the Italian capital over the next 48 hours and UEFA has organised fan zones for both sets of supporters as well as a festival site.

However, several thousand fans, especially from England are expected to arrive without tickets, and they are causing UEFA some concern.

Platini, who experienced the worst desecration of European football's showpiece event as a Juventus player in the 1985 final after the Heysel Stadium disaster in which 39 Juventus fans were killed, said that UEFA had every confidence the "dream final" between two of European soccer's most glamorous clubs would go ahead without trouble, even though UEFA is aware of the possibility it could occur.

Platini said: "This is going to be a wonderful match, and the whole world will be glued to this event, that is why it is important that everyone behaves themselves.

"Football must show itself in the best positive light. UEFA is at the service of the fans, as was the case last year with waiving the visas for Moscow and will be the case this year, as we have done everything possible to make sure that they can enjoy the atmosphere, the event and the celebration of football.

"We are therefore counting on the fans to have a good time and to behave. Enjoy Rome, enjoy the festivities and most of all enjoy the football."

UEFA have worked tirelessly with the Italian police and security services over the last two years to ensure that Wednesday's match goes ahead without trouble.

Rob Faulkner, UEFA's Head of Communcations said: "We are fully aware there is a history of incidents in Rome caused by the rogue elements among some fans in the city, but we are not aware of any issues between Barcelona and Manchester United fans and we are expecting them to really enjoy the match in one of the world's greatest cities.

"One area that does concern us is the large number of ticketless fans moving around the city.

"We are asking the fans with tickets to make their way to the stadium early and to be well-prepared and we are asking fans without tickets not to travel."

Last week the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned fans which metro stops and other areas of the city to avoid because of the fears of trouble.

The FCO warned fans not to take the metro to the Piazazale Flamino or use the Ponte Duca D'Aosta bridge, the site of violence in the past.

UEFA had threatened to take the final away from Rome if Roma's Champions League quarter-final against Manchester United last season was marred by the sort of violence that occurred on United's previous two visits to the city.

That did not happen but Arsenal fans were attacked before their team knocked out Roma in a last-16 second leg match in March.

Reuters

Comment 30 - 49 of 49

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  1. Bargain,excellent condition 26,000 Man U flags going­ cheap, only waved for 10 minutes

    From obyone.obrien, on Tue 2 Jun 12:08PM

  2. Plantini the motto is FAIR PLAY, u have forgotton what­ fair play means, there again he is French.

    From , on Tue 26 May 11:16AM

  3. Shamefully the greatest game of the year between the 2­ best and most exciting teams will be played in a city­ full of racist morons.... Platini and his clowns have­ once again proven to be useless idiots.

    1st half­ United will be up 1 - 0 (Berbatov), early 2nd half­ United will make it 2 - 0 (Ronaldo), mid 2nd half­ United will have it bagged at 3 - 0 (Rooney).... Barca­ to get a late one and this years CL final will end with­ United up 3 - 1 (Henry).

    5 trophies, season over, job­ well done!!!

    Loserpool and Bentozzer will end up empty­ handed, just like last year!!!

    From henrikshoeffner, on Tue 26 May 8:45AM

  4. Hi Guys. Enjoy the match as much as possible.

    From pqkc, on Tue 26 May 8:09AM

  5. I am calm, I am calm, wooooooooo!!!!!

    From cokrowinoto, on Tue 26 May 4:55AM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Please when you notice on Thursday that a number of­ ManUre fans are dead, please notice that all Barcelona­ fans will be alive and well before starting to cry that­ Italians are racists. This will tell you that the­ ManUre went looking for trouble and found it. Learn to­ behave in the international community England, instead­ of trying to pass off your country's problems as­ being the defects of others.

    From DaGringo, on Tue 26 May 3:01AM

  7. ANSWER HIM !!!

    From funky, on Tue 26 May 2:56AM

  8. Seriously collinsc? Did you just type "Answer­ me!" like you were an abusive parent? Really? and­ to whoever said English footie fans are known as­ hooligans. Hooligan is just a term for fans who­ misbehave at footie matches. Just like Spanish fans who­ shout racist epithets are known as racists. It­ doesn't encompass all fans, just the minority. I­ gotta agree though the conspiracy theories are getting­ a bit out of hand. I think Man U will play well enough­ that it won't matter how good or bad the ref is.

    From bigbrother09447, on Tue 26 May 2:39AM

  9. MR all-knowing poster number 11,what excuse can u­ generate again this time??Answer me!

    From collinsc, on Tue 26 May 1:40AM

  10. I personally think that the English fans are very­ unfair in insinuating that Barcelona is being helped by­ Platini and company. This is a way of playing it safe;­ if they lose they are cheated, if they win they are the­ greatest! Barcelona has always been magnanimous in­ Victory or defeat....I guess that has to do with­ breeding. As far as claiming to have the best fans and­ the best league.....well who are known as­ Hoooooooligans!!!

    From marilacson, on Tue 26 May 12:54AM

  11. "THREE ENGLAND TEAMS TO BE IN SEMIS IS UNHEALTHY­ FOR FOOTBALL" WHAT IS THIS..............OOOH,­ SILENT KILLER.SO WHAT DO YOU WANT, THE UEFA PRESIDENT­ EVER....
    BEEN IN HISTORY, SUCH A HATE. DON'T SHAKE­ YOUR BODY ON WEDNESDAY AS USUAL.

    From king_of_leon_blues, on Tue 26 May 12:27AM

  12. DON'T TALK ONLY ON FANS, TALK ALSO TO YOUR­ CORRUPTED REFEREES, "TELL THEM NO MORE­ CONSPIRANCY, BECAUSE IS DANGEROUS FOR YOU AND FOR­ FOOTBALL, AND PRIMIERSHIP IS THE TOUGHEST LEAGUE­ EVER". I DID NOT BELIEVE YOU ARE SUCH.........

    From king_of_leon_blues, on Tue 26 May 12:03AM

  13. FIRST FORGET YOUR CONSPIRANCY IDEA, SECOND PUNISH YOUR­­ OVREBO THIRD DON'T HATE PRIMIERSHIP FINALLY LOVE­­ FOOTBALL.

    From king_of_leon_blues, on Mon 25 May 11:55PM

  14. there will not be any trouble between the Barca and Man­ Utd fans! the only trouble will be caused by the­ italian ultra's they have a history of violence,­ fans and police have been killed and unlike the­ Liverpool incident this wasn't 20 odd years ago­ this is the present day we are talking about, the­ English have cleaned up their image compared to how we­ used to be, the English fans were praised by UEFA and­ FIFA at the last 2 major tournaments we took part in­ and we were voted the best fans at both whereas the­ Italians cause injuries/deaths everytime an English­ team visits but do they get punished... no, they get­ rewarded with the biggest club cup final in the world!

    From wookiee11, on Mon 25 May 11:13PM

  15. ps. dante, from your tone i guess its people like YOU­ that should be banned.

    From stella755, on Mon 25 May 11:04PM

  16. dave v, digging hard to twist the obvious? Shame on­ you! Shame on you!!!!

    From Half A Brain, on Mon 25 May 10:49PM

  17. And when they start foaming at the mouth, please­ another multiple year ban from Europe... we don't­ need English scum on our streets...

    From DaGringo, on Mon 25 May 10:38PM

  18. Ye hooligans when barcelona creams you on wednesday do­ try to behave like humans as opposed to rabid dogs...

    From DaGringo, on Mon 25 May 10:35PM

  19. platini ,you are a horrible man ,go away

    From handyandyisalways, on Mon 25 May 10:23PM

  20. YOU are all forgeting one thing , UTD are taken nothin­ short of an army to rome not the usual 3.000 to 4.000

    From anthony h, on Mon 25 May 10:05PM
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