REPORTAGE
"It's dead, it's empty!" A few hours before the kick-off of the first quarter-final of the Champions League between PSG and Atalanta Bergamo in Lisbon, the atmosphere in the Portuguese capital is far from celebrating. This was notably observed by David, who "saw only one flag of the Champions League" floating in the city. At the microphone of Europe 1, he confides his disappointment: "I am a football fan and I really expected to see a special animation: people, supporters, but there is nothing at all!"
>> Follow the clash between PSG and Atalanta Bergamo live on Europe 1 from 8 p.m. on Europe 1 during a special Champions League evening
Absent supporters and empty restaurants
Despite the presence of the 16 best teams in Europe, in the streets there is no excitement and the supporters can be counted on the fingers of one hand. A situation that leaves a bitter taste in Matias, restaurateur, who has "never seen it" since he has run his establishment, that is to say seven years. If you usually have to make a reservation to come and eat at one of its tables, there they are empty. "People are too afraid to come, whether the French, the English ..." And he is not the only one to see his turnover plunge when he should reach new heights.
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According to the estimates of several firms, this "final 8" in its entirety should bring only 50 million euros in Lisbon, almost as much as what was generated by the final of the 2014 edition alone.