As the Champions League final match scheduled for May 26 in Kyiv approaches, more and more football fans are arriving in the city.
The Kyiv City State Administration expects up to 100,000 visitors during the weekend.
And as the last preparations for the game were being settled, the Champions Festival, the event’s main official venue for the fans, opened on May 24 on Khreschatyk Street to entertain the arriving visitors.
The Kyiv Post visited the fan zone and talked to the fans of both teams.
Liverpool fans brothers Phil and Dean Evans and their friend Wayne James talk to the Kyiv Post at the Champions League fan zone on Khreshchatyk Street in Kyiv on May 24. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Phil and Dean Evans, carpenters
Brothers Phil, 38, and Dean, 28, Evans have been Liverpool fans since childhood. They say it’s the history of the club that they love about Liverpool, and it’s also kind of a family thing – their father, who has also come to Kyiv, is a Reds fan as well.
The family comes from Aberystwyth, Wales, and it’s the first time they’ve visited Ukraine.
Phil says he was a little apprehensive before coming to the country “because it’s so close to Russia.” His first impressions, however, have been good.
“It’s superb,” Phil told the Kyiv Post. “Everything is very cheap,” his brother added.
Phil says that the rise in prices for accommodation were predictable.
“It’s a huge event – it’s thousands of people,” he said.
However, it didn’t affect the family much. They say they rented an apartment in the city center through the Airbnb application at a reasonable price, and didn’t have any problems with their flights either.
Their first interactions with locals, they say, were nothing but pleasant – the taxi driver kindly shared his phone number and offered to help any time.
Christopher Deakin, a Liverpool fan from Wales, speaks to the Kyiv Post at the Champions League fan zone in Kyiv on May 24 (Oleg Petrasiuk).
The family has also made another friend here – Christopher Deakin, 49, from Buckley, Wales, who has been “a Liverpool fan forever.” He came to Kyiv to witness the third Champions League final in his life.
“We’ve just met. We’re best friends now,” Phil said.
Deakin expects an exciting match and predicts that Liverpool will win by four goals to three.
“It won’t be boring,” he said.
Real Madrid fan Ben Raúl Maizel from Izrael talks to the Kyiv Post at the Champions League fan zone on Khreshchatyk Street in Kyiv on May 24. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Ben Raul Maizel, businessman
Ben Raúl Maizel, 35, is among the most passionate fans of Real Madrid. He’s been following the team since 1994, and has been to five Champions League finals in the past.
A hardcore Real Madrid supporter, he has the team’s logo inked on his right calf, and over eight tattoos of the autographs of footballers, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Raúl González Blanco and Zinedine Zidane. He also changed his middle name to ‘Raúl’ after his all-time favorite footballer.
He owns a couple of bars and clubs in Tel Aviv.
“This is my first time in Kyiv. I had no apprehensions at all as I have a lot of Ukrainian friends in Israel,” he said, “Kyiv is beautiful, very green, and the people are wonderful!”
He had not heard about the problem of soaring hotel prices, and said, “I booked my hotel about a year in advance, and got the room at a reasonable rate.” Clearly one to plan ahead, he’s already started organizing his trip to Madrid for the Champions League finals next year.
Football fan Donald Smith from Liverpool speaks to the Kyiv Post, as he explores the Champions League fan zone on Khreshchatyk Street in Kyiv on May 24. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Donald Smith, IT specialist
Donald Smith, 59, has crossed the ocean all the way from Canada to come to Ukraine and support his favorite team. Although he lives in Canada now, Liverpool is actually Smith’s hometown.
“I was born to be a Liverpool fan,” he told the Kyiv Post.
He says that living so far away makes it difficult to attend Liverpool games, however, Smith tries takes every opportunity he can to see his favorite team.
“Whenever I go home, I go to all the games.”
Smith arrived on May 24 and said he had enjoyed the city so far.
“The architecture is beautiful, the people are wonderful,” he said.
He says he has been to Champions League matches many times since 1977, when Liverpool defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the European Cup final, held then in Rome, Italy.
“I think Kyiv has done a wonderful job.”
Smith is staying at a hostel. However, he says it was a kind gesture of Kyiv citizens to host football fans because of the raised prices.
“We appreciate that.”
The Reds fan says he is looking forward to the game, and expects it to be a spectacular one.
“I can’t say we’ll win, but we’re scared of nobody,” he said.
