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| Champions League final: Liverpool and Spurs fans travel to Madrid | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Liverpool and Tottenham fans are making their way to Madrid for the Champions League final - and some have got quite a journey ahead. | |
| The two Premier League sides will meet at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium on Saturday. | The two Premier League sides will meet at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium on Saturday. |
| With both teams having to make remarkable comebacks in the semi-finals, many fans were faced with making last-minute arrangements. | With both teams having to make remarkable comebacks in the semi-finals, many fans were faced with making last-minute arrangements. |
| Whether it was worth it will be decided on Saturday night, fans said. | Whether it was worth it will be decided on Saturday night, fans said. |
| The government has issued travel advice to the fans. | The government has issued travel advice to the fans. |
| Experts are predicting a record number of flights using British skies on Friday with so many fans heading to the final. | |
| About 9,000 flights are predicted to take off from the UK on Friday, which would exceed the previous record of 8,854 set on 25 May 2018. | |
| Air traffic controller Nats has predicted an extra 800 flights will take off over the weekend. | |
| Some expressed frustration at a delay in getting their travel details through for chartered flights. | |
| Spurs supporter Steve Cook wrote on Twitter he was still awaiting his itinerary from Thomas Cook 48 hours before kick-off. | Spurs supporter Steve Cook wrote on Twitter he was still awaiting his itinerary from Thomas Cook 48 hours before kick-off. |
| He said: "We made this booking with the club's official travel company and have been dealt with appallingly." | He said: "We made this booking with the club's official travel company and have been dealt with appallingly." |
| Thomas Cook said it had been awaiting the flight times from Madrid airport, which is expecting an extra 800 flights this weekend, but all fans have now received their itineraries. | Thomas Cook said it had been awaiting the flight times from Madrid airport, which is expecting an extra 800 flights this weekend, but all fans have now received their itineraries. |
| A Thomas Cook spokesman said: "As soon as we received finalised flight times from the airports, we sent itineraries out to fans." | A Thomas Cook spokesman said: "As soon as we received finalised flight times from the airports, we sent itineraries out to fans." |
| He added the firm's six flights would arrive in Madrid at least six hours before the 20:00 BST kick-off allowing fans to "soak up the atmosphere". | He added the firm's six flights would arrive in Madrid at least six hours before the 20:00 BST kick-off allowing fans to "soak up the atmosphere". |
| To avoid flight issues, Anthony Gibson and three fellow Spurs-supporting friends from Northampton decided to drive the 1,100 miles (1,800km) to Madrid. | To avoid flight issues, Anthony Gibson and three fellow Spurs-supporting friends from Northampton decided to drive the 1,100 miles (1,800km) to Madrid. |
| They set off on Thursday evening and hope to be at their hotel near the Spanish capital by Friday night. | They set off on Thursday evening and hope to be at their hotel near the Spanish capital by Friday night. |
| "Living in Northampton every Spurs game for us is an away game, this is the ultimate one," Mr Gibson said. | "Living in Northampton every Spurs game for us is an away game, this is the ultimate one," Mr Gibson said. |
| "I'm 42 and we have all had season tickets for 15 years. We've not had anything this big in our time. It's a once in a lifetime thing." | "I'm 42 and we have all had season tickets for 15 years. We've not had anything this big in our time. It's a once in a lifetime thing." |
| Mr Gibson, said he and his friends were offered £15,000 for their four £60 tickets. | Mr Gibson, said he and his friends were offered £15,000 for their four £60 tickets. |
| "Some people have asked if we are mad, especially my wife, but if you do not make the journey it's one of those things you will regret," he said, adding he had seen plenty of other Spurs fans on the roads of Europe bound for Madrid, including many who did not have match tickets. | "Some people have asked if we are mad, especially my wife, but if you do not make the journey it's one of those things you will regret," he said, adding he had seen plenty of other Spurs fans on the roads of Europe bound for Madrid, including many who did not have match tickets. |
| Sisters Toni Moran and Collette Slater, "born and bred" Liverpool fans, are flying to Madrid with family, including a nephew who is travelling from Sydney. | Sisters Toni Moran and Collette Slater, "born and bred" Liverpool fans, are flying to Madrid with family, including a nephew who is travelling from Sydney. |
| They booked their tickets from Liverpool last week and said they had had no issues. | They booked their tickets from Liverpool last week and said they had had no issues. |
| "There's a good atmosphere down here at the airport, it's lovely to see all the flags, everyone is really looking forward to the match," Ms Slater said. | "There's a good atmosphere down here at the airport, it's lovely to see all the flags, everyone is really looking forward to the match," Ms Slater said. |
| Manchester Airport also had a message for fans flying from there, as shared on Twitter by Tracey Moore. | Manchester Airport also had a message for fans flying from there, as shared on Twitter by Tracey Moore. |
| Other passengers have already noticed a lot of football fans as well, if Claire Petros' video is anything to go by. | Other passengers have already noticed a lot of football fans as well, if Claire Petros' video is anything to go by. |
| Another Liverpool fan, Youtuber Simon Wilson, is driving to Madrid in a car he bought for £40. | Another Liverpool fan, Youtuber Simon Wilson, is driving to Madrid in a car he bought for £40. |
| Spurs fan Nick Rabbits, an English journalist who works in Ireland, said seeing his team in a European final was too good an opportunity to miss. | Spurs fan Nick Rabbits, an English journalist who works in Ireland, said seeing his team in a European final was too good an opportunity to miss. |
| "In the wake of our win in the semi-final I went immediately online," Mr Rabbits said. | "In the wake of our win in the semi-final I went immediately online," Mr Rabbits said. |
| "All the cheap routes had been taken by Liverpool fans because they had a 24 hour head start, so I went for this one." | "All the cheap routes had been taken by Liverpool fans because they had a 24 hour head start, so I went for this one." |
| He left his home in Limerick at about 20:00 BST on a coach bound for Dublin, from where he flew to Bacau in Romania. | He left his home in Limerick at about 20:00 BST on a coach bound for Dublin, from where he flew to Bacau in Romania. |
| Mr Rabbits, who has previously travelled "over land and sea" to Baku in Azerbaijan to watch Spurs, arrived in Romania at about 07:00 local time, with his final flight to Madrid due to depart at 21:00. | Mr Rabbits, who has previously travelled "over land and sea" to Baku in Azerbaijan to watch Spurs, arrived in Romania at about 07:00 local time, with his final flight to Madrid due to depart at 21:00. |
| Mr Rabbits should arrive in the Spanish capital shortly after midnight, having flown more than 4,000 miles (6,400km). | |
| The flights have cost him £320 and he has also paid 207 Euros for a berth in an 11-bed hostel dormitory for two nights. | The flights have cost him £320 and he has also paid 207 Euros for a berth in an 11-bed hostel dormitory for two nights. |
| "Ask me on Sunday if it has been worth it," he said. | "Ask me on Sunday if it has been worth it," he said. |
| Liverpool fan Jarrett has travelled from South Africa to Spain for the match. | Liverpool fan Jarrett has travelled from South Africa to Spain for the match. |
| He said when his side beat Bayern Munich he decided to take "a gamble" and book a trip to Spain. | He said when his side beat Bayern Munich he decided to take "a gamble" and book a trip to Spain. |