Tottenham and Man United fans clash ahead of Europa League final
BILBAO, Spain (AP) — Clashes between fans of Tottenham and Manchester United have been reported ahead of the Europa League final in Spain on Wednesday.
Confrontations took place in the center of Bilbao and in some nearby cities where many of the supporters were staying to avoid overpriced accommodation in the host city.
More than 50,000 English fans were expected in the Basque Country city of Bilbao, according to local officials.
There were no reports of serious injuries in the confrontations, which happened mostly overnight as fans arrived.
Images reproduced by Spanish media showed the supporters clashing on the streets of Bilbao, with some throwing tables, trash bins, bottles and other objects at each other.
There were also reports of confrontations in San Sebastian and Santander, other Basque Country cities filled with English fans, many without tickets for the final.
UEFA this week warned fans about buying unauthorized tickets that were unlikely to get them into the stadium. The clubs were each allocated 15,000 tickets in the 50,000-capacity venue, with some priced at just 40 euros ($45).
Prices in the thousands of euros have been demanded on secondary ticketing websites.
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