Holding the final of the UEFA Champions League in Kyiv, which was to become a big football holiday for our country, as well as an important image project, is getting more and more scandals. After loud criticism of the capital’s hotels, they overestimated the cost of living for the final day 20-30 times (we recall that some hotels and apartment owners ask from foreign fans from 100 to 600,000 UAH for two nights), this week in the epicenter of public attention were the most high football functionaries of the country, and, more precisely, their children.
The photos of a little girl were all over the social networks, she was in an expensive car, playing… with the Champions League cup like with her private toy. Users of social networks quote the girl’s name: Elizaveta Chaus – and claim that she is the adopted daughter of the President of the Ukrainian Football Federation, Andrii Pavelko. Some are indignant that, they for 5 hours were standing in line just to take a picture of the main European football trophy. Others – that the cup is generally the inner sanctum of the football, and athletes have worked hard all their lives to win the tournament and get the right to hold it in their hands. This is something sacred for football players and fans, while Ukrainian officials have made a toy for their children. “Inadequate”, to put it mildly, behavior of officials with the cup, which these days should please the eyes of Ukrainian fans at the exhibitions and promote not only football, fair play in sports, but generally a healthy lifestyle, has already aroused the interest of popular media, and not only Ukrainian. Therefore, we should expect that the point in this scandal has not yet been set and we will see the development of this history in the new details.
Waiting for the holiday
However, despite the scandals, for the overwhelming majority of football fans, holding the finals of the Champions League-2018 in Kyiv – is an incredible gift of fate and a real holiday. First of all, mention is made of the nostalgic sensations from Euro 2012, which our country held together with Poland. Kyivans and guests of the city are already in anticipation of an incredible buzz from the atmosphere of what is really majestic: fan zones, crowded with foreign fans, dozens of entertainment programs and musical performances in the open air, tasty beer and most importantly – online broadcast of the match on large screens. And here it is not so important, who is genuinely rooting for Real Madrid (Spain), who for Liverpool (England), and who with heart and soul are always with Kyiv Dynamo, in whose home arena (NSC Olimpiysky) on May 26 the strongest teams in Europe will hold the finals. Kyiv will surely present the atmosphere of the holiday to the guests of the city. And that’s why.
Behind the screen of PR and the false love of sport, the city officials really tried to organize the finals properly. Of course, it’s much easier to criticize, especially, when there are reasons for that, but in the flow of the negative, flowing from social networks and media, do not forget about the important positive points. In the end, the UEFA commission recently appreciated the level of preparation of the city for the game.
Convenient fan zones
The final is held on the Day of the City of Kyiv, as well as the Trinity Day, so the residents of the capital and guests are invited to celebrate for four days – from 24 to 27 May. The official fan zone under the name “Village of the Сhampion” will be equipped in Khreshchatyk (from CUS to Gorodetsky Street). As reported in the KSCA, it will accommodate up to 20,000 people daily. Here all activities from UEFA will be conducted. You can even go to the Champions League museum, and on May 25 there will be a “star match”. In addition, a one-day fan zone is being built on the Kontraktova Square. Two more fan zones for the fans of the teams that converge in the final match will be placed in the Shevchenko park and on the square in front of the “Ukraine” palace. For the convenience of foreign guests, a mobile tourist information center will operate in each fan zone, where the fan can get advice, purchase a Kyiv Pass tourist card, with which you can visit museums, galleries, restaurants, cafes and bars for free and at discounted rates, and use as a travel card in the subway (from 3 to 5 trips). Tourist card will cost 450, 750 and 1050 UAH, depending on the time of action from 24 to 72 hours.
Also, the city authorities promise the fans (and not only foreign ones) a free travel around Kyiv in public transport on the day of the finals. The right for free trips will have fans with tickets for matches and officially accredited persons for sporting events. Free travel will be provided by the transport of Kyivpastrans and in the metro from 00:00 on May 26 to 11:59 on May 28 for the fans and from 00:00 on May 21 to 23:59 on May 27 for accredited persons.
As for the transport: due to the heavy workload of May 25-27, connected with the holding of the UEFA Champions League final in Kyiv, Borispol airport will temporarily close one of the two runways – it will be a parking lot for the aircraft. The airport and the border guards have already reported: they are ready for a quick and comfortable reception of guests, the time of passage on the control is minimized as much as possible.
For many fans, it is important to decide whether to go or not to go to Kyiv, because it is a security issue. The war continues in Ukraine, and although it is far from the capital, provocations and attempts of terrorist attacks are obviously potentially possible. In the SSU and the Navy assured that there is nothing to be afraid of, all attempts to prevent the conduct of the game will be warned on time. 12,000 law enforcement will provide public order during the final of the Champions League in Kyiv. The Ministry of Internal Affairs separately noted that the Ukrainian police has enough experience to hold events of this level. And here, first of all, we are talking about the already mentioned Euro 2012 tournament.
The capital is also being prepared in the aesthetic sense: until May 20, it is planned to install thematic flower panels at the main entrances and the central part of the city. Vertical landscaping along the main transport highways of the city. A voluminous design using the official hashtag #UCLfinal for the festive decoration of the city has already been established. There will also be a large inflatable mockup of the cup, measuring up to 35 meters.
It is announced that on April 21 a solemn opening ceremony of the Champions League will take place on Khreshchatyk. The UEFA Cup will be handed to the mayor Vitalii Klychko by the Head Coach of the Ukrainian national team Andrii Shevchenko. It is also planned to march in two columns of players. Creative collectives and orchestra will take part in the event.
Yes, greedy owners of hotels and apartments incredibly inflated prices for living. But the people of Kyiv launched a flash mob, the purpose of which is to help tourists in the Champions League with free housing in the capital. Thousands of people began to join the action in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social networks, placing the #FreeKyivCouch4Fans hashtag. They offer fans free rooms, apartments, parts of houses and the like. And it really works. Yes, the children of officials play with the cup, but their 5-10-year-old coevals, who make their first steps in football, faithfully attending training in sports schools, also have the opportunity to take a picture with the trophy, and, perhaps, it will become for them a life motivation, a dream to see the cup once again – in their hands, winning over time a prestigious tournament in Europe.
In any case, the main thing in this whole story with the organization and holding of the finals remains his majesty football. Kyiv for the first time will take the final of the Champions League. In the history of the tournament, the coveted trophy was won by 22 clubs. Real Madrid has the most victories, it went to the final of the Champions League 15 times and 12 of them celebrated the victory. Liverpool won 5 times in the finals. \And it will be a new, Kyiv page in the history of world football.
Text: Vadym Lubchak
Photo: Ukrinform
