Champions League final stadium engulfed in black smoke as huge fire breaks out in Istanbul hours before kick off
THE ATATURK Stadium has been engulfed in black smoke due to a nearby fire – just hours before the Champions League final.
The stunning Istanbul stadium is due to host a potentially historic final between Premier League Champions Manchester City and Italian giants Inter Milan.
But it could end up being a smokey affair due to dark fumes billowing from a nearby burning building.
Plumes of smoke soared over the stadium due to the wind wafting the nearby fumes towards the ground.
The smoke was so prominent that it was picked up in BT Sport‘s pre-match coverage.
Footage of the fire started doing the rounds on social media thanks to a stadium-bound fan.
It showed a six-story building engulfed by black smoke as Turkish firefighters desperately tried to quell the raging flames.
The brave firemen blasted the building with hoses to try and further stop the flames from damaging the site.
Footy fans were quick to comment after clips and images of the smoke went viral.
One tweeted: “What on Earth?”
Another said: “I hope everything is ok…”
And another said: “What is this black magic?”
One remarked: “What’s going on here??”
Another chimed in: “Is it some kind of sign that we’re going to see an unusual game today?”
One said of the burning building: “That’s a serious fire hope there are no casualties.”
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The burning building – an industrial factory – is located a mere TWO MILES away from the Ataturk Stadium.
Firefighters are said to have been on the scene for the last “two hours” trying to quell the flames.
City boss Pep Guardiola will be hoping the black smoke won’t be a bad omen for his troops.
The Prem champions will bid to secure a historic treble against Simone Inzaghi’s Inter.
But the Italians will hope to channel the spirit of their 2010 tournament-winning side – who stopped Bayern Munich from winning a treble 13 years ago.