The Burrows, father and son, took their places on a public bench in the Cours de Vincennes. This Parisian sidewalk will be their platform. In the long family history of traveling across Europe, they sang to the glory of the Liverpool “Reds” in the most legendary stadiums. “Tonight we will see the game on a giant screen… It could be like home, but just making this trip shows our love for the club. And, all together, our strength. »
Bryan Burrows, 71, and his son David, 41, wearing dark glasses and bucket hats, are not alone on this Parisian sidewalk already bathed in lukewarm beer, 10 a.m. before the kick-off of the Ligue des Ligue final. champions between Real Madrid and Liverpool, Saturday May 28 (at 9 p.m.) at the Stade de France. A british invasion reddens the streets of Paris.
Like most of their comrades, the Burrows lost the lottery. The one to dream of a place in the Dionysian enclosure – only 12,000 tickets were offered to Liverpool supporters, and as many for those of their evening opponent. “But we didn’t wait to find out if we were going to the stadium to organize the trip: we came anyway. We arrived on Wednesday, we climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower, we took a tour of the Bateau-Mouche…”
Like this father-son duo, more than 50,000 “Reds” supporters made the trip without a ticket for the match. A way to punctuate a season already crowned with two national cups, where, even at home, in the Anfield stadium, places are rare and expensive.
The party will therefore take place here, in an area enclosed by barriers, under the supervision of 6,800 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters mobilized for the occasion. As of Friday, a statement from the Prefecture of Police set the rules of the game. Precise hours for the consumption of alcohol, areas of the city to avoid (the Champs-Elysées, in particular)… “Any gathering of a protest nature is prohibited”, further states the document. On this final Saturday, however, the claims of belonging to the Reds are sung at the top of their lungs, worn on the shoulders, tattooed on the skin.
Looks like a rock festival
Around this “fan zone”, which can officially accommodate 44,000 people, no Spaniards in sight. Another reception area, more modest, and reserved for ticket holders, has been set up for the people of Madrid, in Saint-Denis, not far from the stadium. In fact, no tenacious enmity is maintained by the supporters of the two clubs, all accustomed to the big finals.
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