Crisis in Bilbao after UEFA final: Fans stranded for hours

After the UEFA Europa League final played in Bilbao, Manchester United and Tottenham fans faced transportation difficulties. Thousands of fans who could not reach the airport after the match harshly criticized UEFA on social media.

CITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROVED INSUFFICIENT

The arrival of approximately 80,000 fans in addition to Bilbao's population of 345,000 strained the city's transportation infrastructure. Fans who could not find a taxi or bus for hours after the match had to wait until 5 a.m. Some fans were seen sleeping on the floor at the Bilbao bus terminal, a situation described as "chaos" on social media.

FANS FORCED TO WALK

Some fans who could not find transportation were forced to walk for three hours from the stadium to Bilbao Airport. UEFA's decision to allocate only 15,000 tickets to the clubs and the closure of the San Mames metro station for security reasons led to criticism of the organization.

POLICE INTERVENTION AND REACTIONS

Problems also occurred at train stations in the city. Police removed fans waiting at the station, a move that was met with backlash on social media. Fans stated that such a large event should have been organized in a city with better infrastructure.

STATEMENT EXPECTED FROM UEFA

There has been no official statement from UEFA yet following the transportation crisis. However, the events show that UEFA needs to review its organization and planning processes. Fans are demanding that future events be held with better preparations.

News Source: 12punto