Rotterdam bracing for Conference League final; Feyenoord on the way to Tirana
The Rotterdam catering industry expects a massive influx of people who want to watch the Conference League final between Feyenoord and AS Roma via broadcasts on large screens on Wednesday evening. People who have not yet reserved a spot may end up disappointed. It is hardly possible any more to get a ticket to watch the match in or near a catering establishment in the city.
Tickets for the Stadhuisplein, also a popular viewing spot earlier this season, sold out very quickly. Tickets for gatherings elsewhere, like at the Erasmus Bridge, on the Noordplein, the Oude Haven, and at the open-air cafe Biergarten, have also sold out. Feyenoord also organized a viewing evening in its own stadium, De Kuip. All 48,000 tickets have already sold out.
Desperate fans can try their luck on sites like Marktlaats. Though the asking price for tickets there is often a multiple of the original amount.
The municipality of Rotterdam has drawn up guidelines for catering entrepreneurs to show the match. These gatherings are only intended for the "home audience." Screens will all face inwards so that people don't gather on ramps and sidewalks to watch. The municipality also set rules regarding alcohol sales.
On Tuesday morning, the Feyenoord team was on the first of seven chartered flights departing from Rotterdam The Hague Airport for the Albanian capital Tirana. Coach Arne Slot's selection consists of 23 players, the American attacker Cole Bassett, who is not eligible for play, and young keeper Tein Troost, who is not part of the match selection.
Tuesday's flights will mainly transport the team itself, sponsors, players' relatives, and business class members. It involves about 800 passengers, including the players, said a spokesperson for organizer Uniglob Two Travel. The plane transporting the team and staff left around 11:45 a.m.
On Wednesday, a few flights will leave for Tirana, including two organized by the supporters' association FSV De Feijenoorder. From Schiphol, there is only one direct flight on Tuesday and Wednesday. An estimated 8,000 supporters will attend the match in Tirana. Many of them will travel by indirect flights via other airports or by car.