Europa League 2019 final

Get me to Europe for Cup finals, whatever it costs: Singapore football fans

Some Singapore fans undeterred by hefty sums to support their teams in Baku, Madrid

Top, from left: Arsenal fans Tan Si Han, Shaiful Ali Abdul Rahman, Teng Zhi Yan and Leo Sang Fong are in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the Europa League final between Arsenal and Chelsea. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAIFUL ALI ABDUL RAHMAN Above: Liverpool fans, incl
From left: Arsenal fans Tan Si Han, Shaiful Ali Abdul Rahman, Teng Zhi Yan and Leo Sang Fong are in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the Europa League final between Arsenal and Chelsea. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAIFUL ALI ABDUL RAHMAN
Top, from left: Arsenal fans Tan Si Han, Shaiful Ali Abdul Rahman, Teng Zhi Yan and Leo Sang Fong are in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the Europa League final between Arsenal and Chelsea. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAIFUL ALI ABDUL RAHMAN Above: Liverpool fans, incl
Liverpool fans, including Aaron Kok (left) and Melvin Wong (centre), outside the stadium in Kiev where Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 3-1 in the Champions League final last year. PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON KOK
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

It is a historic week for English football with Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal contesting two European finals and more than 30 of their Singaporean supporters are sparing no expense to cheer their teams live inside the stadiums in Spain and Azerbaijan.

For Melvin Wong, who is self-employed, he is hoping to see his beloved Reds lift the Champions League trophy for the first time since 2005 and erase the heartbreak of last year's final when they lost to Real Madrid.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 29, 2019, with the headline Get me to Europe for Cup finals, whatever it costs: Singapore football fans. Subscribe