Manchester City fans stand in front of metal crowd-control gates outside the stadium as uniformed Turkish police officers search them. Turkish authorities and UEFA were also keen to project control after rumors that the match would be moved out of Turkey due to projected political unrest following the country’s pivotal election just weeks before, when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured an unprecedented third term in office. UEFA was found primarily responsible for chaos at the 2022 Champions League final in Paris-when visiting fans were tear-gassed and pepper sprayed by local police at congested stadium entrances-and this year no one in event management wanted to take any chances. The checkpoints were put in place by UEFA and Turkish law enforcement. After a tense showdown, Manchester City won 1-0. But they were overwhelmingly merry as they chanted, waved flags, riled up fellow supporters, and teased their opponents. This year’s final pit Manchester City against Inter Milan and-between the traffic, police barricades, and other security measures-some attendees reportedly walked up to five miles to attend. The final is widely regarded as the most prestigious match in global club soccer. During the annual tournament, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)-the governing body of European soccer-elite clubs compete to earn the title of best in Europe. Spanish media report that they are also keen to secure the services of Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva.ISTANBUL-Soccer fans from around the world navigated a logistical labyrinth to reach Ataturk Olympic Stadium on June 10 for the 2023 Champions League Final. League Champions Al-Ittihad signed Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema earlier this month, while the club has also confirmed that former Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante is joining them.Īl-Hilal are the most decorated club in Saudi Arabia and Asia having won 66 trophies, and they hold the record for league and Asian Champions titles with 18 and four respectively.īoosting their squad is a priority for the Riyadh-based club, who have lost their league and Champions League crowns. The Saudi Pro league has become attractive to Europe-based players since Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr last January. The 32-year-old is the second player moving to Al-Hilal from the English Premier League after Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday. Koulibaly scored two goals in 32 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea after joining them from Napoli last July. "We'll continue to make history together," Al-Hilal wrote on Twitter, alongside a short video featuring Koulibaly.
(Reuters) - Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly is joining Al-Hilal from Premier League side Chelsea, the Saudi Arabian club announced on Sunday.
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