The eyes of the football world will be turned to Milan for the Final of the UEFA Champions League later tonight. Real Madrid have a chance to win a record 11th title when they face neighbors Atletico Madrid at the San Siro, and fans in the Spanish capital are gearing up for a tense evening.
A city with divided loyalties. The Champions League final will – for the second time in three years – be contested by cross-town rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. At Real’s ground, big screens are being erected so the fans who didn’t travel to Milan can enjoy the match in a big stadium atmosphere. Fan clubs around the city are gearing up for the game … none more so than Real Dragon — a Chinese Real Madrid supporters club.
Real Madrid to take on Atletico Madrid.
"Everyone who comes here likes Real Madrid. A lot of Chinese people, a lot of my countrymen, love Real Madrid. I feel nervous. But we’re going to Milan, and we’re going to win the Cup," said Ruben Wang, Real Dragon Fan Club member.
In some parts of Madrid, the match offers the chance to bring people together. The San Anton Church will show the game on TVs for hundreds of homeless supporters.
"We asked them where are you going to see the Final? And they said they didn’t have anywhere, because most of them don’t have homes. They sleep in the street, under a bridge, or by a cash machine. So we said why don’t we set up a room at the church where they can see the Final?" said Padre Angel, San Anton Church official.
The impressive Real Madrid Museum may soon need a further extension should the club win an eleventh European Cup. But given the close rivalry between the two, picking a winner is far from straightforward.
Real Madrid to take on Atletico Madrid.
"I think this could be an absolute classic Final. It is a bit like the brilliant Semi-Final we saw in Munich, where Atletico and Bayern – a clash of two styles – this is another clash of styles, but with the added local thing going on," said Ed Mallion, Daily Mirroe journalist.
If Real Madrid are victorious, then tens of thousands of Real fans will gather here in Cibeles in front of the Town Hall, to celebrate yet another Champions League title. And in the early hours of Sunday morning, the Real Madrid players will be here to join in the party … While here at Neptuno – a few hundred meters long – the road is where the Atletico Madrid fans will gather should Diego Simeone’s men triumph in Milan, and where the Atletico fans will get to see their first-ever European Cup.
Whatever happens, one thing is for sure … a Spanish side will claim European football’s biggest prize for the third year in a row making Spanish football the big winner.
