Liverpool and Tottenham fans in Madrid told to behave like tourists

Spanish police have told English football fans to “behave like tourists” and not drunken yobs as thousands of Liverpool and Tottenham supporters descend on Madrid for the Champions League final.

Officials are deploying unprecedented security measures for the final, which has been declared a “high risk” match, while officers from England have been drafted in to help enforce a “robust” approach to disorder.

More than 4,700 personnel from several security areas will be involved in the operation in total, including an extra 1,300 Spanish tourism police deployed to Madrid to help cope with the influx of fans.

Police said supporters had been largely well-behaved in the run up to Saturday’s match, with an acknowledgement from both sets of fans that the Liverpool contingent is so far outnumbering that of their north London rivals.

Their arrival has been characterised by a sea of replica shirts, while both sets of fans have congregated on plazas to drink beer and bellow out football chants.

Supporters said the heavy police presence has made the city feel safe, with officers reporting little in the way of disorder so far.

But they said fans should not resort to yobbish behaviour as the weekend builds to its sporting climax.

Madrid police officer Jose Ramon Carrasco told the Press Association: “In this city we expect good behaviour from everybody.

“Bad behaviour – everyone knows what that is.

“Good behaviour is like a tourist, behaving correctly, going to a bar, having tapas, visiting places.

“We understand they’re going to be noisy, happy or singing or whatever – that’s understandable.

“What’s not understandable is maybe throwing bottles in the street, getting into fights. We don’t accept that.

“It’s a matter of having fun but not being in a bad mood.”

Officers have already detained six people in Madrid and seized 2,000 fake Champions League products that were going to be sold in the city ahead of the final.

Mr Carrasco said police were also instructed to clamp down on those selling fake tickets or those sold above face value – despite many fans arriving in Madrid willing to shell out thousands of pounds for the opportunity to get inside the ground.

He said: “We will be looking for people with both counterfeit tickets and also selling and reselling tickets which is not allowed.

“If they (police) find out, they will take the tickets from these people and fine them.”