Hours left until the game. The heart of Istanbul, the iconic Taksim Square, a meeting place for many Manchester City and Inter Milan fans, sees the temperature and enthusiasm rising every second as they wait for each other ahead of the match that will face both teams in the Champions League final tonight.

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They wave flags, bright blue British teams and blue and black Italian teams, there are songs and lots of them selfies in front of the big ball placed in the square and, above all, in front of the gigantic replica Orejona which occupies the center of Taksim.

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The square is always a crossroads for residents and tourists, and fans of both colors mingle with a multitude of passers-by from numerous countries, equally interested in keeping the graphic souvenir of the ‘Champion’.

In front of the huge glass, two girls of obvious Caribbean origin are photographed together with an elderly Turkish couple, conservative-looking and religiously veiled.

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There are several police vans, but the uniformed ones stand still: there is no apparent conflict or tension between the fans. Nothing disturbs the festive atmosphere.

Loud music warms the atmosphere from a city bus with a loudspeaker, and the entertainer reminds that the city has made available to fans a huge space for entertainment, concerts and football activities on the coast of the Sea of ​​Marmara.

But many fans did not find out about this offer, although the program is indicated on the square itself.

In addition, those who have tickets will go to the Atatürk Olympic Stadium tonight, prepared to receive 75,000 spectators.

“We will win. Probably one to zero,” ventured Marco, an Inter fan from Venezuela who came from New York to watch the final.

“The only bad thing is that the stadium is so far away. I think it takes almost two hours by public transport and, to be honest, we don’t know how yet,” he points out in an interview with EFE.

The stadium has a metro connection to Taksim Square, but it is necessary to change the line three times, and although there are signs at the associated stations, for someone who does not know the city, it can be a small odyssey. (D)