The Europa League final "will go ahead as planned following the terror attack in Manchester," UEFA announced, according to Chris Bascombe of the London TELEGRAPH. The European football governing body issued a statement on Tuesday morning confirming Wednesday's game in Stockholm between ManU and Ajax will proceed "amid heightened security." The ManU squad traveled from Manchester to Sweden on Tuesday afternoon, but Manager José Mourinho's scheduled press conference in the Friends Arena was canceled. UEFA has "attempted to reassure club officials and fans that extra measures are in place in the wake of all recent incidents." A UEFA statement said, "There is currently no specific intelligence which might suggest that any of the UEFA Europa League final activities in Stockholm may be the target of attacks" (TELEGRAPH, 5/23). In London, Jack de Menezes reported the Manchester attack, which took place late on Monday night at the Manchester Arena toward the end of an Ariana Grande concert, saw an improvised explosive device "triggered by a lone attacker who died at the arena," Greater Manchester Police confirmed (INDEPENDENT, 5/23). In Dublin, Simon Peach reported UEFA's statement added, "UEFA has been closely working with local authorities and the Swedish FA for many months and the terrorist risk had been taken into account since the very beginning of the project. Furthermore, a number of additional security measures were implemented following the attacks in Stockholm last April." There is no news yet on how ManU "might pay tribute in the Europa League final," but England wore black armbands for Tuesday's match against Guinea at the U20 World Cup (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 5/23).
ICC TICKETS: ESPN.com's Rob Dawson reported ticket sales for ManU's summer friendly with Man City in the U.S. have been "suspended following the deadly explosion." The Int'l Champions Cup game will take place in Houston on July 20, but there will be a "delay in ticket sales" following the incident at the Manchester Arena. A statement from ICC organizer Relevent Sports said, "In light of the terrible tragedy in Manchester last night, we are postponing the on-sale of Manchester United v. Manchester City. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families" (ESPN.com, 5/23).
OLD TRAFFORD: THE SUN's Alex Terrell reported Old Trafford "closed its doors to tours while the club megastore, cafe and museum are also shut" after the attack that killed 22 concert-goers. ManU's home stadium is a "huge attraction" and "fans from all over the world love to visit the ground even when there is no match on, to visit the museum and have a stadium tour" (THE SUN, 5/23).
SOLOMONA SHELTER: In London, Callum Davis reported Premiership Rugby side Sale Sharks winger Denny Solomona has been "applauded after he offered up his home to people fleeing the Manchester Arena attack." The hashtag, #RoomForManchester, began to trend on Twitter as fans, "many of them children," fled the area. Solomona tweeted, "If you still haven't got a place and need somewhere to stay for the night please DM me #RoomForManchester." Many hotels also said that they "would provide free hotel rooms -- including to children separated from their parents" (TELEGRAPH, 5/23).
'HUMAN PERSPECTIVE': In London, Miguel Delaney wrote ManU will play a game "less than 48 hours after" its city "suffered such an atrocity." Any "talk about about the 'size' of that fixture is now utterly moot, and the football stakes of the fixture are rendered irrelevant by real life, but at the same time it is precisely those real-life events that make such a football match all the more important from a human perspective." If the "twisted objective of such attacks -- and especially when on those so young -- is to provoke extreme fear, and foment disunity and disharmony, then it is all the more valuable that people show the opposite: that they stand together, showing unity." Football, "for all its modern faults, is one of the pursuits that allows this; that brings people together -- even when facing each other on opposing teams." This is the "human power of the people's game" (INDEPENDENT, 5/23).
