Lisbon is "expecting 90,000 visitors" for the Champions League final between Atlético and Real Madrid on Saturday, according to J.L. Guerrero of AS. Lisbon Mayor Antonio Costa said, "This is one of the greatest exercises of media exposure for the city on a global scale." UEFA, however, never confirmed that Lisbon would "install giant screens in the city for the Spanish visitors without tickets for the game." As a "precaution, no such screens will be installed" to air the live broadcast of the match. It is a "subject with two sides." On one, Lisbon's Municipal Chamber and the leaders of the city's hotels and restaurants, who "badly wanted giant screens installed to satisfy the demands of the Spanish invasion." On the other side are the "economic problems faced by the municipal funds, and in this case, the public sector." The Portuguese Police did not want "fans spread throughout the streets of the city." The police "also did not want to have to control a celebration or any possible incidents." Finally, UEFA made its decision "based on health." A UEFA source said, "There will be no organized public broadcast of the game in Lisbon, neither by UEFA nor by the city" (AS, 5/22).
MADRID SECURITY: The EP reported Madrid's Neptuno and Cibeles fountains "will be protected by a security perimeter to prepare for possible celebrations following the match." Madrid officials are planning to hold a celebration for Real Madrid fans if their side wins on Sunday at 8pm. If Atlético wins, the celebration for the team's fans will be held on Monday. In either case, 260 Madrid police officers will provide security (EP, 5/22). The EFE reported more than 300 agents from Spain's Civil Guard and two helicopters of the General Traffic Directorate (DGT) will monitor the highway fans will use to travel from Madrid to Lisbon. The authorities are expecting 15,000 cars to travel to Portugal through Badajoz, Spain via the A-5, a distance of 404 kilometers. More than 300 members of Spain's Civil Guard will work from Friday through Sunday to regulate the passage of fans through Spain's Extremadura region bordering Portugal (EFE, 5/22).
