In Bilbao San Mames Stadium that was built with the help of the human chain from old land
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Manchester United of Tottenham fans will praise their heroes for securing Champions League qualification in one of the most fascinating stadiums in Europe -called ‘The Cathedral’.
The two parties hope to set aside their Nightmare Premier League seasons and terrible form to conquer the Europa League crown.
For TrailThe final is the chance to win a first major trophy since 2008.
For UnitedIt is their back door route back to the top table in Europe in a season in which they may end up 17th – for degraded trio Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton.
But there are so many storylines about the stadium where they encounter Like football itself.
United defeated Athletic Club in the semi -final To deny the Bilbao side of playing a European final in their home country.
UEFA has awarded the Europa League final of this season to the San Mames Stadium because it should organize four games at Euro 2020, including all three group competitions of Spain.
High Covid rates in the Basque Country saw the San Mames replaced by the Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville instead.
So the reimbursement for missing the euros was Wednesday Europa League Showpiece and the final of the Women’s Champions League last year.
Historical handicraft
The state-of-the-art San Mames Stadium was opened in 2013 as the new site of Athletic Club.
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The location of 53,000 seats – which led colored lights on the outside, such as Allianz Arena in Bayern Munich – replaced their predecessor stadium with the same name that opened exactly 100 years earlier.
In an incredible touch that recognizes their history and heritage, a brick and a piece of grass from the old soil were also used in the building of the new San Mames.
But instead of having a construction worker done the deed, a human chain including club legends, members of the ladies team, the academy and both the oldest and the youngest players and fans were all involved in wearing the brick of his place in the old stadium facade to the neighboring new site.
Orphanage
The name San Mames is a reference to Saint Mammes van Caesarea, a Christian martyr of the third century born in prison where his parents were imprisoned.
His mother and dad were both killed because of their faith, leaving Young Mammes an orphan.
Mammes herself was continued for his own beliefs, including Leeuwen – but managed to escape before he was finally beaten with a trident that eventually killed him.
There is an old sanctuary to Saint Mammes next to the stadium, giving the ground its ‘cathedral’.
And it helps to explain why Athletic Club gets the nicknamed the lions.
Captains give their flowers
As we have already seen, the club is steeped in history.
But their 98-year-old tradition is perhaps the most stylish of all.
For almost a whole century, the captains of teams who play in the San Mames – both the old and the new versions – have laid flowers in honor of athletic icon Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, better known as Pichichi.
The legendary striker, who played for them in the early 1900s, suddenly died at the age of 29 of Typhus.
Schippers lay the flowers next to a statue of Pichichi in the tunnel area, with the bust placed outside in the previous stadium.
Hungarian side MTK Budapest was the first to make the gesture in 1927.
Bruno Fernandes will not participate in the tradition this week, which has played several times in the stadium – but son Heung -Min is set as it is Spurs’s first visit.
San-Dwiches
Atletic Club’s Away fans are some of the best there are – as they have demonstrated during their recent visit to Old Trafford with the semi -final.
And their supporters from home are just as good – with home competition days not only about 90 minutes on the field.
They gather in their thousands of hours before they are stopped on the Poza Street, opposite the stadium.
The road is covered with bars and therefore the Fans enjoy some pre-match drinks and pintxos snacks.
But they also ensure that they buy their sandwiches they take and eat during peace, a healthy athletic tradition.
Switch sports
But the San Mames Stadium is not only used for football.
In 2019 it was used as a starting point for phase 13 of the Vuelta a Espana when cyclists warmed up by riding around the field before they were on their way and Bilbao left.
Three athletic fans and riders – Jonatan Lastra, Mikel Bizkarra and Omar Fraile – even wore the famous red -and -white shirts while posing for photos on their bikes in the stadium.
Finally, the record rise in the stadium was established in a different sport.
No fewer than 52.114 fans stuffed in the San Mames for Athletic Club vs Rangers on April 17 this year in the quarterfinals of the Europa League, a new highest count for a football match.
However, that was exceeded rugby Union’s Champions Cup final in 2018 while Leinster Racing 92 defeated 52,282 spectators.
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