Bizarre feature at Champions League final stadium leaves fans baffled and asking ‘what’s the story?’
FOOTBALL fans were left confused by a particular quirk at the Champions League final stadium in Istanbul.
The Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Turkey played host to Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Inter Milan on Saturday night.
It comes 18 years after the very same venue held the dramatic 2005 final between Liverpool and AC Milan when Steven Gerrard inspired a sensational comeback as the Reds clinched a fifth European crown.
The main takeaway from the 2023 edition was that Man City completed the Treble – the first English side to do so since Manchester United in 1999.
But there were also a number of smaller talking points spotted by eagle-eyed viewers.
One of those was the bizarrely huge technical areas which Simone Inzaghi and Pep Guardiola were engulfed in.
Yet despite that, both managers still appeared to go outside the lines in order to instruct their players.
Reacting on social media, journalist Richard Jolly posted a picture and added: “The Ataturk Stadium isn’t the easiest place to get to but it does have weirdly big technical areas.”
Another person added: “Biggest take so far is that these technical areas aren’t big enough for either Simone Inzaghi or Pep Guardiola.”
A third responded: “What’s the story with the technical areas?”
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While a fourth replied: “That stadium is ridiculous. Why is there about 15 yards from the dugout to the touchline?
“Managers and subs are going to pull muscles just getting to the front of their technical areas. Even front row fans need Hubble to see any action.”
Inzaghi caught the eye towards the end of his Inter side’s defeat on Saturday evening.
The Italian, 47, watched Ederson make a superb save from a corner to deny his team a late equaliser.
And with the game drifting beyond the allocated stoppage time, the camera cut to Inzaghi who appeared to grab a man in his technical area and push him away.
He then gave him a furious stare as frustrations boiled over.
Moments later, the full-time whistle was blown as the Man City players, staff and fans celebrated jubilantly, while those affiliated with Inter were left devastated.
Meanwhile, the ground was also criticised after fans struggled through traffic and bottleneck entrances to enter the stadium.
The scenes were described as “shambolic” and “dangerous”, just one year on from the chaos that ensued in Paris during Real Madrid’s clash with Liverpool.