The “extremely challenging” prospect of a Liverpool vs. Rangers Europa League final in Dublin in May is prompting UEFA to prepare backup plans.
The 82,000-capacity Croke Park stadium has been set aside as a public viewing venue by the body that oversees European football, but even that may not be able to fit everyone who might travel to Dublin without a ticket to enjoy the atmosphere for what may be Jurgen Klopp’s final game as Liverpool manager.
Largely supported teams like West Ham United, Liverpool, Rangers, Roma, AC Milan, and Marseille are all still in the competition and might be included in Friday’s quarterfinal draw.
Tickets for the final, which has a capacity of 51,700, may be purchased for between £80 and £1,700 at the Aviva Stadium on May 22.
In the event that both Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen go to the championship match, Klopp may face Xabi Alonso, who is a strong candidate to succeed him.
Theodore Theodoridis, general secretary of UEFA, stated on Tuesday that the Europa final has already been marked as a potential flashpoint this summer without identifying any clubs.
“Under certain conditions, because of the potential teams that could qualify, this might end up being the most challenging for us,” Theodoridis said.
“We are aware that they will bring a number of fans who do not have tickets, and there is also the matter of possible public viewing locations.
“I won’t reveal the pairings, but you are shrewd enough to figure it out. There are a few pairings where it would be very difficult to create seating arrangements for every fan that attends that game.
“Although Croke Park has already been designated for possible public viewing, that may not be sufficient.
“We are already working on this, in collaboration with Football Supporters Europe and the local government.
“To determine the best answer, we will consult the supporters of the participating clubs if we do reach one of those scenarios.
“The largest issue at hand is whether Croke Park would be large enough; we believe that other options for public viewing would be necessary to accommodate the large number of visitors to Dublin.
It’s not a simple process, and it’s just for a few circumstances, which would make it very difficult, particularly for teams that already have a sizable fan following on the island of Ireland
But we are working on it and will involve the fanbases as well. We have to see who gets to the semis and then we will start to work with them as well.”
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