Rome enforces alcohol ban for final
Reuters - Monday 25 May 2009, 16:46
Rome authorities agreed on Monday to enforce a partial ban on the sale of alcohol in areas around the Stadio Olimpico and on the city's metro system ahead of the Champions League final.
Police also said they had confiscated a number of counterfeit tickets for Wednesday's game between Manchester United and Barcelona but were not overly worried by the possible influx of 5,000 ticketless English fans.
Some reports had stated the city was enacting a blanket ban on alcohol but officials said the measures were not that severe.
As frequently happens for European matches in Rome, alcohol in glass containers cannot be sold in the zones around the stadium from 5pm on Tuesday until 6am local time on Thursday.
The sale of any 'takeaway' alcohol is also banned from 5pm to 11pm on Tuesday in the same areas, while the restrictions also apply to all Rome metro and train stations, as well as the port of Civitavecchia.
Glass containers of any sort are banned near the stadium.
Despite fears of violence following incidents involving United and AS Roma fans in the city in recent years, police were hopeful there would be no major trouble.
"We have been informed by the English police that 5,000 people will come to Rome without tickets. It is probable that they will come to visit the city, no one has said they are hooligans," Rome police chief Giuseppe Caruso said.
English and Spanish police will also be on hand because "they know the fans", he added.
COUNTERFEIT TICKETS
The Olimpico is a 67,000 sell-out and officials think they have made a breakthrough in cutting the number of counterfeit tickets on the market.
"We have news about false tickets and printing centres have already been discovered and tickets confiscated," Rome security chief Giuseppe Pecoraro said.
"Those still circulating are 100 percent false."
Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno said he had asked Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni for the biggest security presence seen in Italy for a political or sporting event to complement 1,000 stadium stewards.
"Rome's future candidature for other international events depends on the success of this showpiece. Because of this I appeal to all citizens to project the image of Rome as a welcoming city, which it is," he said.
He added that the city would not be "militarised."
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