FANS descending on Moscow ahead of tomorrow`s all-English Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester United have so far been well-behaved, local police said today.
More than 40,000 fans are expected to arrive for European club soccer`s showpiece at the Luzhniki Stadium, creating a giant logistical, transport and policing challenge for the Russian hosts.
"There have been no incidents so far. People are walking around, going sightseeing, settling down in hotels," a Moscow police spokesman said.
"The Moscow police are in a good and optimistic mood... relying on fans` common sense. I don`t think they (the fans) want any problems with police in a foreign country."
Groups of fans from both Premier League teams lined up at metal detectors in Red Square to enter a fan zone offering souvenir photos and a penalty kick competition, while even more wandered further afield into local bars and restaurants.
"It was a long way to come for a game but it`s worth it," said one United fan called Steve as he walked along Moscow`s pedestrian-only Kamergersky Street.
"Now we need to relax, put our feet up and get some beers. We`ve had a long journey," he said, holding a bright red flag sporting yellow and white lettering and a team emblem.
Two Chelsea fans in front of an outdoor cafe said Moscow was a much more pleasant city than they had expected.
"It`s very different from what we read back in England, lots of scare stories," said Charlie from London.
"None of it is true so far," he said.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will attend the game, said a spokesman for the Russian billionaire.
The only previous European club final staged in Moscow was the UEFA Cup meeting between Italian team Parma and French side Olympique Marseille nine years ago.
The fact that most of the fans for the game will be heading to Moscow from Britain has created unprecedented challenges.
A British tour operator warned yesterday the city`s airports would not be able to process fans fast enough.
A Moscow city official involved in preparations for the match said he was confident everything would run smoothly.
"We are in constant contact with the representatives of the English fans and they tell us they have had absolutely no problems in Moscow so far," Alexei Sorokin said.
"With thousands of fans coming into Moscow we have also added extra immigration officials at all the checkpoints at airports so the waiting time is cut to a minimum."
Russian police are expected to mobilise thousands of officers at the stadium and elsewhere in Moscow to prevent any trouble involving supporters.
European soccer`s ruling body UEFA is confident the fans in Moscow will not cause trouble similar to the riots and a stabbing that blighted the UEFA Cup final between Russia`s Zenit St Petersburg and Scotland`s Glasgow Rangers in Manchester last Thursday.
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