Fans face wall of security in Istanbul

FOOTBALL fans flying into Istanbul ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League final faced tightened security yesterday, with immigration officials demanding to see match tickets as well as passports and visas.

Liverpool, in their first European Cup final since the Heysel Stadium tragedy in 1985, have been allocated 20,000 tickets for the match against AC Milan but many fans are expected to make the trip hoping to buy on the black market.

Police have warned supporters travelling without a ticket they could be put straight back on a plane. About 10,000 police and security personnel will be on duty in Istanbul for the game.