May 12th, 7:45 PM. Hamburg Northern Bank Stadium.
The UEFA Europa League final: Dortmund versus Liverpool.
This wasn't just a final between the Bumblebees and the Red Army; it was a continuation of the age-old rivalry between England and Germany.
According to UEFA regulations, although the Northern Bank Stadium could hold 57,000 people, the standing terraces on the north side had to be converted into seating for European matches. This reduced the capacity to 51,500.
Dortmund and Liverpool split half of the tickets, with each team receiving an allocation of about 13,000.
Of the remaining half, a portion was given to sponsors as complimentary tickets, while the rest were sold to the public.
Most of the fans who bought these tickets were German, predominantly Dortmund supporters.
So, as the two teams walked onto the pitch led by Italian referee Nicolai Rizzoli, the chants of "BVB" clearly drowned out the support for Liverpool.
