CITY PREPARES FOR HISTORIC MATCH
FINAL preparations for Cardiff’s showpiece Champions League celebration were under way last night, as the eyes of the world turn to the Welsh capital.
With the four-day festivities starting tomorrow, police have been getting ready for the massive security operation, while organisers have been putting the finishing touches to the many changes the city is going through.
One of the most noticeable additions – a floating 3G pitch – was unveiled in Cardiff Bay ahead of Saturday’s showpiece final clash between Juventus and Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, hometown star and Real Madrid lynchpin Gareth Bale, spoke of his hopes of making the line-up for Saturday’s game, after a race against time to come back from injury.
He told reporters: “It’s going to be an amazing occasion.
“To be in the final in my home city, where I was born, is an incredible feeling – but there’s one more job to do and that’s to win the Champions League again and make history.”
Around 200,000 fans are expected to attend the whole event across the four days before, during and after the Champions League final at the National Stadium of Wales, which has been renamed from the Principality Stadium for the event.
The women’s Champions League final takes place tomorrow night at the Cardiff City Stadium where holders Lyon take on fellow French side Paris St-Germain. The tie is expected to be the largest ever attendance for the women’s European final, with in excess of 15,000 tickets sold last week.
The Bay’s 3G pitch will host the Ultimate Champions match on Friday afternoon (4pm kick-off), which will see Ryan Giggs and a host of other European football legends play against each other as part of the four-day Champions League festival.
The floating pitch will also host community activities, including walking football, refugee teams from South Wales, a deaf football friendly international, learning disability and youth age groups matches.
FAW chief Jonathan Ford officially launched the pitch, located on the pontoon in front of the iconic Pierhead building, yesterday morning.
And there was good news for fans when forecasters predicted a dry Saturday evening for the big match.
The roof of the National Stadium of Wales will be shut due to security reasons, but other events across the city in the build up will be open to the elements.
With tomorrow forecast to be fine, Friday may see a band of rain across the region which should clear up by Saturday.
“It is looking like a good day,” said a Met Office spokeswoman. “There could be an odd shower around but it is looking like it will be bright and sunny. In terms of temperature the maximum in the high teens maybe a 20C.”
Elsewhere, a legal row broke out over whether leaseholders in some of Cardiff’s most prestigious apartment blocks can let out their flats to spectators attending the Champions League final.
Many people are taking advantage of the sky-high demand for accommodation to charge paying guests premium rates for staying in their homes.
Earlier this year a company trading as BedSurge was set up to help homeowners find visitors prepared to pay big money for somewhere to sleep.
The firm, which takes a third of the amount charged, says it takes charge of everything associated with the stays, including insurance and customer vetting, as well as providing a “welcome” basket of Welsh produce, linen, towels, bathmat and cleaning.
BedSurge says it is not in competition with hotels, and will only trade when hotels are full on occasions like sporting fixtures and high profile concerts. It estimates that will happen around eight times a year.
Among those to have used BedSurge’s services is Wales rugby star Jamie Roberts, who is hiring out his Pontcanna flat to visitors.
Some homes are being let out for more than £1,000 a night.
But property management companies have been warning leaseholders that they should not let out their homes because, they claim, doing so would be in breach of their leases.
One of the apartment blocks at the centre of the row is Altolusso, a luxurious 23-storey building 100 yards from the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff city centre.
Altolusso is managed for its leaseholders by FirstPort Bespoke Property Services.
In a letter to BedSurge, FirstPort’s lead legal consultant Azmon Rankohi said: “I understand that your company is in the business of arranging shortterm accommodation of properties, particularly focusing on times and areas of high demand.
“As part of that, I note that you have targeted Altolusso with a view to attracting residents who may wish to let out their flat with your company for the weekend of the Champions League Final on the weekend of June 3.
“I am writing to you since, unfortunately, the leases of the flats at Altolosso do not permit short-term lettings of this nature. Therefore, I must ask that you desist from seeking to let any flats at Altolusso, and make arrangements to cancel any current bookings.”
Mr Rankohi went on to warn BedSurge that if any Altolusso leaseholder proceeded to let their flat to the company, action would be taken against them for breaching the terms of their lease. He also said that any customers who took accommodation at Altolusso would not be permitted access to the building.
But BedSurge director Fabrizio Gulino said: “We have taken legal advice and leaseholders can rest assured that they are able to charge visitors for use of their property. In legal terms, they are not sub-letting, but providing a licence to occupy.”
A spokeswoman for FirstPort Bespoke Property Services said: “The Champions League final is a significant event for Cardiff and we appreciate that there is demand for accommodation.
“However, our first priority is to ensure our residents can enjoy their homes in a safe and secure environment, and we have been contacted by a number of residents concerned over the significant disruption caused by short-lets.
“These concerns were our primary motivation for tackling this in advance of the event. We also have a duty to ensure our residents are not in breach of their lease and, despite being given ample opportunity to do so, Bedsurge has not presented any reassurance that this won’t be the case.
“They have also not stated how the ‘licence to occupy’ agreement will be fulfilled. We have always been happy to discuss this matter further with them.”