Carnival atmosphere in Dublin as fans descend ahead of Europa League final

Fans gather next to a replica of the Europa League trophy near the Dublin-New York portal on North Earl Street, Dublin. Pictures: Brian Lawless/PA Wire.

Molly Malone couldn’t make her mind up whether she was for Atalanta of Italy or Bayer Leverkusen of Germany.

As always, tourists were lining up to get photos but, at various stages on Wednesday, she could be seen on Suffolk Street alternating between red scarves and blue scarves as the Europa League final beckoned in Dublin.

Merchandise for sale on Moore Street, Dublin.

From early morning, the capital was awash with the blue and black of Atalanta and the red and black of Bayer Leverkusen throughout the city centre, as fans arrived en masse to soak in the atmosphere ahead of the second-most prestigious game in European club football. 

This would be the Bergamo-based Atalanta’s first time in a European club final in their 116-year history. Bayer Leverkusen last reached a major European final over 20 years ago — and lost.

At least 20,000 fans from those cities were expected to descend on Ireland for Wednesday’s final, with a further 10,000 flying in from around the world for the game.

Dublin has hosted this event before, but the clash between two Portuguese sides in Porto and Braga back in 2011 didn’t quite capture the imagination as the German-Italian clash on Wednesday.

It was the kind of carnival atmosphere the city had hoped to have back in 2021, when it had been due to host several games from the delayed Euro 2020 tournament, but covid-19 got in the way.

Keen to make up for missing out three years ago, the red carpet was rolled out for the Europa League final this time, with free public transport for all ticket holders on the day.

Bayer Leverkusen fans in the fan zone at Dublin Castle.

At lunchtime, Temple Bar was abuzz with mostly the red and black of Leverkusen as some fans started early in the bars along the street.

Just over the road at the fan zone in Dublin Castle, festivities had begun in earnest, with fans queuing up for official merchandise, for beer, to get their photo next to life-size mock-ups of the teams and to watch some legends like Diego Forlan and Robert Pires have a kickabout.

The fans of Bayer Leverkusen could not countenance the propsect of losing. In fact, they had not seen their team be on the losing side across all 51 games they have played so far this season.

And in former World Cup winner and Liverpool star — not to mention a brief stint playing GAA in Meath as a teenager — Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen could boast a bona fide superstar as their manager.

Nico and Oliver were taking nothing for granted though. 

“It’s a final, it’s different right, you never know what’s going to happen,” Nico said. “Of course, 51 games. But as a long-term Leverkusen fan, you know your history so you can never be too confident.” 

Oliver agreed. “We can talk about 2002 now [when they lost the final]. Because now we are champions [of Germany]. But let’s see what happens.” 

A Bayer Leverkusen fan kisses a replica of the Europa League trophy.

Leverkusen’s season has been characterised by late comebacks and Nico was expecting the same again. “So Bergamo will lead 2-0 up, and then we come back and then who knows,” he said. “We’ll take it,” Oliver added.

Atalanta, though, were certainly not here to make up the numbers either. They dished out a hammering to Liverpool in the quarter finals of the competition — dismaying both the legion of Irish Liverpool fans and Dublin hoteliers, alike.

They were making up a sizeable presence in Dublin too, with fans of all ages on the streets and in Dublin Castle before heading to their dedicated fan area in Ballsbridge in the afternoon ahead of the game.

Martin is among a group of Atalanta fans in the Temple Bar Square about to head to the fan zone and is in bullish mood. “The score will be 3-0, Forza Atalanta,” he said, before leading his pals in a rendition of one of their team songs.

The infectious atmosphere in Dublin as football fans from around the continent descended on it for this game gave just a taste of what is to come in 2028, when it will be one of the host cities for that year’s Euros.

If this Europa League Final is anything to go by, it’ll be worth rolling out that red carpet again.