Rome Grabs Immigrants' Dusty Pitch for Champions League Football Village

The city of Rome has requisitioned a dirt football pitch used by Ecuadorean immigrants to host a "football village" for fans attending the Champions League final. This follows protests by archaeologists over alternative plans to build new pitches outside the Colosseum.

Archaeologists warned of possible damage to the first-century site after learning of Uefa's plans to set up two synthetic pitches, food stands and chemical toilets to entertain fans in the four days running up to the 27 May final between Manchester United and Barcelona.

After Rome's mayor, Gianni Alemanno, claimed he had never given formal permission for the plan, the Uefa president, Michel Platini, replied that he had received the go-ahead months earlier. "Last year we did this in Red Square in Moscow, there were 200,000 people and nothing happened," Platini added.

After hurried meetings last week, Uefa agreed to set up on a dusty pitch in the nearby Colle Oppio park, which commands views over the Colosseum, but where an Ecuadorean immigrants association is currently running a tournament featuring teams from South America, Morocco, India and Romania.

"Immigrants have been playing here for 16 years and we have just read in the papers that we are going to be kicked off our pitch. No one has told us anything," said an organizer, Andrés Santos.

A town hall official said the Champions League trophy will be put on display outside the Colosseum and added: "The dirt pitch will probably be covered over but once Manchester and Barcelona fans have departed, the immigrants can have their pitch back.".