Istanbul Stages Football Festivities Ahead of Champions League Final

Gul said that 15,000 security officers have been deployed for the match on Saturday, the biggest football event in the European club calendar.

The final will be played in Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium, where 70,000 fans from all over Europe will attend the game as tens of millions watch on television or online.

The two teams arrived in Istanbul on Thursday and held their final training sessions.

Several festival areas have been organised across the city and Istanbulites, football fans and tourists have been enjoying the attractions.

Istanbul is hosting the European Champions League final for a second time after the match between England's Liverpool and Italy's AC Milan was held in the same stadium in 2005.

The match saw Liverpool stage a remarkable turnaround to win the game on penalties after finishing the first half three goals down.

Liverpool's success is sometimes called the 'miracle of Istanbul' and is remembered as one of the greatest Champions League matches to date.

A huge model of the UEFA Champions League trophy backdropped by the Taksim Mosque at Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, 8 June 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN A woman poses with an Inter Milan team picture during the UEFA Champions Festival at the Yenikapi event area in Istanbul, Turkey, 8 June 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN Bernardo Silva (L) of Manchester City and teammates attend a training session during an UEFA Champions League media day at the City Football Academy in Manchester, 6 June 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/ADAM VAUGHAN People pose with the UEFA Champions League trophy during the UEFA Champions Festival at the Yenikapi event area in Istanbul, Turkey, 8 June 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN People walk around a huge model of the UEFA...