Fans are awaiting Russian visa details

30 April 2008

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Champions League organiser Uefa is finalising on how English supporters can get express Russian visas.

More than 42,000 fans will travel to Russia .

Hours after United booked their place in the final with a 1-0 win over Barcelona on Tuesday, club officials confirmed that fans planning to travel to Moscow will find it easier than normal to get a visa.

United secretary Ken Ramsden said supporters travelling on charter flights approved by the club will be eligible for special arrangements, though they too await specific details.

We reassure all the fans intending to support their teams in Moscow that despite an extremely tight time-frame their visa applications will be duly processed

Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzkhov, has also suggested that the Russian Embassy and relevant authorities will make it easier for fans to get visas to travel to Moscow.

There are unconfirmed reports that supporters may not need a visa if they possess a valid match ticket and passport.

Each club - Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea - has its own policy for allocating the 21,000 tickets they will/would get largely based on loyalty.

Availability of tickets is now extremely limited from official sources.

Uefa stopped selling tickets last month via a general sale open ballot on its website, while United and Liverpool are no longer accepting applications.

Traditionally, huge numbers of supporters of British clubs travel to destinations around Europe to follow their team - with or without a ticket - which could potentially put a strain on Russian visa services.

At present fans must apply for a £95 visa through the Russian National Tourist Board in London, which is processing visas exclusively on behalf of the Russian Embassy for the Champions League final.

In a statement, the Russian Embassy has acknowledged the "extremely tight" timeframe but prmoised additional staff to cope with the heavy demand and assured fans their visas will be duly processed.

Already accomodation in the Russian capital is scarce, if not completely booked up, while tickets for flights to Moscow are virtually full - or fetching massively inflated sums of money.

The capacity of the Luzhniki Stadium - where England lost to Russia in October - is being set at 69,500 for the final.

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