ROMANIA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Fans of Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao gather for Europa League final

Record ID: 860034

  • Title: ROMANIA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Fans of Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao gather for Europa League final
  • Date: 10th May 2012
  • Summary: ***Muisc heard SOT*** ATLETICO MADRID FANS ARRIVING
  • Embargoed: 25th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Romania
  • City:
  • Country: Romania
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA32UI4OCD7EYUU27YU1ZK0L0DX
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  • Story Text: Parts of Bucharest resembled a colourful Spanish city on Wednesday (May 9) as fans gathered for the Europa Leaue final.
    The Romanian capital was decked out in the red and white as the followers of Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao gathered ahead of the match.
    In a season in which Spanish teams threatened to completely dominate their continental rivals, it falls to Atletico and Athletic to carry the flag.
    Barcelona and Real Madrid unexpectedly fell by the wayside in the Champions League semi-finals, leaving Atletico and Athletic, similar in name and club colours of red and white, to share the spotlight in UEFA's second-tier competition.
    Atletico won the inaugural Europa League, which replaced the UEFA Cup, in 2010 while Athletic, who only field players of Basque origin, are in their first European final since their one and only previous appearance in 1977.
    Both sides, coached by Argentines - Atletico by Diego Simeone and Athletic by Marcelo Bielsa - boast strikers capable of lighting up the National stadium in the Romanian capital. Atletico, who have scored the most goals in this season's competition - 30, will look to Radamel Falcao and Adrian Lopez. Colombian Falcao set a record in 2010-11 with 17 goals in Porto's triumphant campaign, including the winner against Braga, and is joint top-scorer this season on 10 with Schalke 04's Klass-Jan Huntelaar. Lopez has eight to his name.
    Athletic frontman Fernando Llorente is a menace to any defence while in teenager Iker Muniain, the north-coast club have a player destined for a big-money move sooner rather than later.
    After making the long journey from Spain both sets of fans were obviously optimistic that their side would win. Atletico fan Dani Sanchez said : "Obviously Atletico Madrid is going to win; they have no other choice than to win. They are coming as better team, they have good quality.
    The only thing is that Atletico Bilbao had a very good season this year. But, still, Atletico Madrid is the favourite team."
    Atletic Bilbao fan Ramon Albondiga disagreed. "Today our team has a whole province behind it, " he said " We will win for sure. It's going to be complicated game because Atletico Madrid has a good team, but I think we are going to win. History is owing a title to us; so we are going to get it."
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