Meet the Asian Liverpool fans heading to the Champions League final

Asif Patel from Blackburn and friends Mohammed Arfan from Rochdale, Hussain Loonat and Rahil Laher from Batley have headed off to Ukraine and sent us these images en route.

The Champions League final against Real Madrid will be watched by millions across the world but only Liverpool fans who have attended all the European fixtures this season were able to qualify for a ballot.

Liverpool fans have been handed only 16,000 tickets for the final. The club has thousands more season ticket holders and demand for the tickets was astronomical.

The lads about to board for Kiev

And this is where they are heading..A view of the NSK Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev where Liverpool will play Real Madrid. (Picture: Peter Byrne/PA)

Asif, 37 told us, “Playing Real Madrid in the final of the Champions League is just something else.

“I attended all the matches and then just got lucky in the ballot. We were just so happy to be chosen this time round.”

The journey to the final saw them set-off from driving 5 hours to Gatwick yesterday (May 24) then a flight to Athens and arriving in Kiev later today.

On return they will set-off Sunday from Kiev to Ankara and then from there to Dalaman and then back in Manchester on Monday.

Mohammed Arfan has turned his garage into a 'Liverpool shrine'

Asif started supporting Liverpool in 1987 and this will be his first European final. Whilst he missed out in 2005 Hussain didn’t. Hussain saw Liverpool crowned champions on a dramatic night in Istanbul.

Asked if they would have sold the tickets Asif said, “We had no intention of selling them. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”