Fans of Chelsea and Manchester United continued to pour into Moscow today as a carnival atmosphere took hold in the city.

Hundreds of supporters enjoyed the spring sunshine in Red Square at the fans' village where long lines of people, mostly Russian, queued patiently for a chance to have their photograph taken with the European Cup.

The normally austere guards outside Lenin's Mausoleum looked on in passive surprise as teenagers kicked a football around on the cobblestones outside and fans joined in a continuous five-a-side match at the Uefa Village complex.

Trade in shirts and souvenirs was brisk as Muscovites caught Champions League fever, excited at seeing Europe's most important football competition in their home city.

On the famous Arbat pedestrian street, traders were selling special matryoshka dolls decorated with portraits of Manchester and Chelsea players for between £20 and £35.

At Luzhniki Stadium, where tomorrow's final will take place, a statue of Lenin was framed by giant banners draped over the back of a stand. At the entrance to one of the two "fan zones" set up in the stadium's grounds hung a portrait of Russia's most famous poet, Alexander Pushkin, with a Manchester United scarf draped around his neck.

In a misplaced reference to two Irish literary giants, the pro-Kremlin Izvestiya newspaper ran a front-page story with the headline: "The countrymen of Oscar Wilde and Bernard Shaw are coming to Moscow". Quite whether the estimated 50,000 fans who will descend on Moscow by tomorrow will live up to such a cultured billing remains to be seen.

Police in Red Square were keeping a low profile, seemingly under orders to maintain a friendly atmosphere, but more than 7,000 officers and Omon riot squads are expected to throw a security cordon around the stadium ahead before the match.

Alcohol has been barred from sale in and around the stadium and British Embassy officials were warning fans that it was illegal to drink or smoke in Red Square. It was advising fans to contact a 24-hour hotline to consular staff if they are arrested during their visit.

Sports bars were reporting massive demand for places to watch the match, which kicks off at 10.45pm local time. Most said that they had sold out through reservations made by Russians. Popular expat pubs in Moscow were also doing a brisk trade.

With Russia anxious to present a friendly image before the most important sporting event in Moscow since the 1980 Olympics, the Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko even summoned the leaders of local football supporters' clubs to a summit yesterday to urge them to avoid any conflict with visiting fans. "We want to show that Moscow is an open city. A huge amount of work has been carried out for the fans coming to see the match," Mr Mutko said.

Not everyone is happy, particularly about plans to close to local traffic streets leading to the stadium. Ivan Melnikov, a Communist member of parliament, complained that Moscow was being turned upside down. "The Champions League final is certainly an important event but it does not mean we should jump out of our trousers," he said.

With political relations between Britain and Russia at their worst since the Cold War, due partly to the murder in 2006 of the former spy Alexander Litvinenko in London, both countries are eager to ensure that the final helps to rebuild relations.

Sergei Lavrov, the Foreign Minister, said that Russia had acted as a "civilised country" by deciding to waive visa requirements for visiting British supporters.

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