Part one of what Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune calls the “East-West rapprochement” begins tomorrow, although it should really be called the “Russia-Great Britain rapprochement” considering the teams and cities involved. Wednesday’s UEFA Cup final pits Scotland’s Glasgow Rangers against Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England. The following Wednesday sees English Premier League heavyweights Manchester United and Chelsea square off in the Champions League final at the Luzhkov Stadium in Moscow, Russia.
Because Russians need to obtain a visa to enter the UK, Zenit’s support will be considerably less. Hughes says that some 13,000 Russians and 100,000 Scots are anticipated for Wednesday night’s final. The City of Manchester Stadium only seats around 48,000. So, just as in the last World Cup in Germany, the rest will be packed into the city’s public areas to watch the match on massive projection screens. As city council spokesman Pat Karney says, it will be a “tight squeeze.”
Next Wednesday marks the reverse procedure, when tens of thousands of United and Chelsea fans head to Russia’s capital city. Sportingly, Russia has waived the need for British supporters to obtain a visa; they need only a valid ticket to enter the country. Affording the trip is an entirely different story, however, as Moscow in recent years has become the world’s most expensive city, according to Mercer Human Resource Consulting.