Redaccion
Bilbao will deploy a comprehensive operation, coordinated between the Municipal Police, Ertzaintza, and Athletic Club, for the return leg of the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals to be held next Thursday at San Mamés, starting at 9:00 p.m., between Athletic and Rangers Football Club. The cooperation between the police forces aims to «ensure coexistence» between the fans of both teams.
As reported in a statement by the City Council, the operation will mainly affect the surroundings of the San Mamés stadium with the aim of implementing a series of measures to ensure the safety of both sets of fans, as well as the general public.
Following the usual procedure for these European events, the visiting fans will be summoned to a meeting point to march together accompanied by Ertzaintza agents to the stadium.
This meeting point for the Rangers Football Club fans will be located in the first section of Iparragirre Street, closest to the Guggenheim Museum, and they are expected to depart for the stadium around 6:00 p.m.
TRAFFIC DISRUPTIONS
The celebration of the match will also involve, as usual, traffic closures and disruptions to public transportation. Traffic restrictions will mainly occur around Plaza Moyúa and the Hotel Carlton, the vicinity of San Mamés, as well as the closures caused by the route of the fan march of the Scottish fans.
Around 6:00 p.m., traffic circulation restrictions and road closures will also be established on streets such as Felipe Serrate, Sabino Arana, Euskalduna Bridge, or Sagrado Corazón. However, thirty minutes earlier, starting at 5:30 p.m., the first closures will be set up on the streets near the Hotel Carlton.
PUBLIC SERVICE
The tram service will be affected from 6:00 p.m. between the Pío Baroja and La Casilla stops. Similarly, the Bilbobus and Bizkaibus services may be affected, so it is recommended to check for possible changes and alternatives on screens or the website.
Therefore, local fans are advised to use public transport to get to the stadium and to enter with sufficient time in advance.
