From far and wide and even further they have come to Tirana in recent days, the Feyenoord fans who want to watch the Conference League final against AS Roma on Wednesday evening in the beautiful, multicolored, but cramped Air Albania stadium. From Cambodia, Argentina and a tiny Norwegian island. Travel of thirty hours with transfers at Bangkok and Zurich. Or from Gjerøy by boat to Bodø, then fly to Oslo, Hamburg and Tirana. Drive to Memmingen in Germany and then fly the other way to London, then heading for Vienna, Podgorica and finally a six hour bus journey to the promised city.
They are usually smiley, cheerful and have a beer early, some add a cultural tour to it. They like to sing. ‘Ti-ra-na wo-ho’, is the voice at airports, on airplanes, on ferries, in taxis and on sweltering Albanian squares and terraces.
Former Feyenoord captain Paul Bosvelt is recognized in the plane and has to sing a song. Without hesitation he puts hard Super Feyenoord, You Make Us Happy in. Bosvelt, who raised the last European cup, the Uefa Cup, on behalf of Feyenoord twenty years ago, was approached by the club to come to Tirana as a VIP. But he already had tickets and prefers to sit among the fans.
Yes, Feyenoord and Roma supporters have a bad reputation for rioting, although Feyenoord’s have been behaving quite nicely at away games lately. On Tuesdays, the atmosphere in Tirana is at its best during the day. 15 to 18 thousand Feyenoord supporters are expected in total, from Italy double the number is expected.
Here and there there is some challenge, especially if a group is in the majority. At some cafes many men are dressed in black, usually the color of the fanatics. Only Italians or only Dutch people are allowed in those places by friendly police officers.
ticket hunt
Pride of their club predominates. They don’t experience this that often. Feyenoord played and won three European finals, AS Roma played two – and lost both.
Because only 22,500 people fit in the stadium, and both clubs only received three thousand tickets for their fans, there is also a kind of ticket hunt going on. Feyenoord fans Marcel de Waal and Edwin de Leeuw from Uitgeest – ‘Yes, that is more AZ and Ajax area, but Feyenoord is simply in our blood’ – have used De Waal’s Albanian brother-in-law to get tickets. ‘He has now found someone who is asking 500 euros, but I will not go further than 300,’ says De Waal.
De Leeuw: ‘And otherwise we look here in the pub. Also pretty.’
They are amazed in the taxi to their hotel. The mighty mountains in between alternately palm trees, ruins, junk stalls, shiny high-rise buildings and statues of Albanian heroes on horseback does not compare to the Feyenoord player bus that they now happen to drive behind. Marketing and sales manager De Waal (51) and project manager De Leeuw (49) feel like boys again for a while.
“Ed, what a party, already!”
“Can you see them, Mars?”
But De Waal is checking his mobile again. It now features a selfie with ESPN analyst and former Feyenoord player Pierre van Hooijdonk, whom he met at Tirana airport. But he is especially curious if his brother-in-law has already been able to arrange something. “It’s getting more and more itchy.”
Five fans of around 20 years old, who are drinking beer in their bare bones in the afternoon on the 40 thousand square meter Skanderbeg Square, which has been arranged as a fan zone, already have a card. Bought from three Albanians for over 600 euros each. It was still okay. ‘They first asked 1,000 euros for it.’ The eldest of the couple, Siefko Jager from Harlingen, found the sellers via Instagram.
If it hadn’t worked, it would have been fine. “You just have to be here,” they say in unison. They were too young to witness Feyenoord’s previous European final in 2002, and they deeply feel sorry for their comrade who was left behind at Cologne airport because his passport had expired.
Hunter enjoys. ‘In Marseille (where Feyenoord played the semifinals, red.) it was completely out of control, tear gas, aggressive people. The Albanians are super friendly, even those who want to sell you a ticket. They are really looking forward to this final. But they can hit a financial blow, of course. I’ll grant them that too.’
Just the World Cup
In front of the statue of the Albanian hero Gjergj Skanderbeg, the Conference League cup shines, next to it a speaker from which the Conference League anthem sounds continuously. Another former player flown in by ESPN, Mario Been, poses with the cup on request and is sung to by Feyenoord fans. Passing Albanians happily hum along.
Like countless buildings and construction sites, the town hall is completely covered with a cloth with the announcement of the final. Been: ‘Unbelievable, as if they are organizing the World Cup here. Very nice this, for Tirana.’
But also ‘extremely nice’ for Feyenoord, says Been, who grew up in South Rotterdam. ‘We really count again. So for God’s sake, let it remain calm for the next few days. This fairy tale must end on a positive note.’