Barça Femení fans excited ahead of Champions League final in Bilbao

Thousands of Barça Femení supporters have traveled to the Basque city of Bilbao ahead of the UEFA Women's Champions League final against Olympique Lyonnais on Saturday.

UEFA says that around 40,000 tickets have been bought by Barça supporters in a 50,000-plus San Mamés stadium in the center of the city that will welcome French and Catalan fans ahead of the 6 pm match.

Around 1,300 fans arrived in 22 buses provided by FC Barcelona left the Catalan capital on early Saturday morning, while many others flew in multiple flights.

Saturday's will be the third Women's Champions League final to be held in Spain, and while Barça will be playing with the support of thousands in the stadium, the French outfit has featured in all three finals.

The trophy, which is 60cm in height, 10kg in weight and made of sterling silver, is a familiar piece of silverware to both finalists. Holders FC Barcelona have two triumphs to their name, while Olympique Lyonnais have a record eight UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.

For supporters to experience the whole Champions League atmosphere, UEFA has set up two Fan Meeting Points, one per team, within a 10-minute walk of the field.

At Barça's there is music, food, and lots of football-related activities for those visiting Bilbao and attending the match.

Some of the fans have been traveling since midnight such as Mireia Riera, who came by bus and "left Barcelona at midnight and reached Bilbao at 8 a.m. We thought it would be worse, but there was a lot of excitement, and we were able to rest a little bit. Now, we are very lively. It is our first Barça final for both men's and women's teams, and it is a great way to start," she told Catalan News.

On the other hand, we have Ernesto and Lourdes, who came by car and are spending the night in Bilbao. 

"We have always wanted to go to a football final and as it was close, as it was in Bilbao [we decided to come]. We will take the opportunity to watch the match and enjoy Bilbao as we had never been," they told this media outlet.

While Barça fans would love for the team to win, they are well aware that it is the third time they face Olympique Lyonnais in a Champions game and that they have never won.

"Seems like [Barça] will win, but it is one of those days I am not sure. Olympique Lyonnais is a very strong and good team, they play to the limit. I already said on Facebook that the Femení had already won no matter what happens today, but I trust we will win," Pep Torrents, from Constantí, said.

Large screen in Barcelona, and activities worldwide

While the main party will take place in Bilbao, there will also be many activities around the world, including in the Catalan capital where the city council will install a large 7-meter width per 4-meter height screen on Plaça de Catalunya square.

Fans will be able to follow the match live from the area, but also for those living abroad they can attend one of the many events organized in Barça 'Penyes' fans organizations in the world.

In Washington, the Catalan government delegation and the local 'penya' have organized a party to watch the match. There will also be events in London, New York, Toronto, and Panama.

 

Plaça de Catalunya square screen

For the many fans who were not able to attend the match in Bilbao, the Barcelona city council installed a large screen in the Plaça de Catalunya square.

Around 300 fans followed the game from the city center.