Manchester City supporters were threatened to abandon their taxis while going to Ataturk Stadium for the UEFA Champions League final.
Social media was flooded with videos of frustrated Manchester City fans walking and racing on the motorway to the stadium as traffic delays sparked fears that thousands of people might miss the kick-off of the biggest club game in world football.
UEFA warned earlier that both team supporters should arrive at the stadium 9 hours before the kick off time because the stadium and the only metro line serving it are both located on the same main road, therefore traffic congestion is to be expected on the day of the championship game.
Since the Ataturk Stadium is located an hour outside of central Istanbul, Manchester City fans were encouraged to begin gathering at the designated fan park as early as 2:00 p.m. in preparation for the game’s 10:00 p.m. local time kickoff.
Despite numerous warnings, the videos that circulated online showed hundreds of City supporters, leaving their cars and cabs to make it to the stadium in time for kickoff by strolling along the side of the highway.
The aerial shots show the two club-branded buses using the hard shoulder to sneak through traffic on the route to the stadium, just like the Manchester City team coach, Pep Guardiola had to be escorted through the same traffic.
Meanwhile, Manchester City’s coach was caught in traffic and arrived late to their press conference. Pep Guardiola‘s rivals did not get a boost from City’s lateness, either, as Inter Milan’s bus was also late.
Other pictures and stories from social media revealed massive queues outside the stadium.
Worries that unticketed spectators would try to enter led to stricter security checks, which caused increased congestion for fans trying to get inside the stadium.
Outside the stadium’s metro station and the approaches to the ground, huge lines developed as fans waited to go through two levels of police inspections, including the inspection of tickets and the search of bags for alcohol.
There were a lot of riot police, mounted officers, and other law enforcement personnel with dogs stationed around the stadium.
A major factory fire adjacent added to the tempestuous scenes in Turkey, with clouds of billowing smoke rising above the Ataturk.
A huge fire has broken out near the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul 🚨 pic.twitter.com/OLgVVOTHTr
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) June 10, 2023
Even as multiple fire engines worked to extinguish the blaze in the final minutes before kickoff, social media videos showed smoke moving toward the match venue.
It brought back thoughts of what Liverpool fans went through a year ago when crowd management by French police and UEFA in Paris was deemed to have narrowly avoided a mass fatality catastrophe by an independent tribunal.
A pleasant ending to the night was provided by Rodri’s game-winning goal, which gave City their first UEFA Champions League title and completed their historic Treble.
