A Dublin man who owns a pub in Linz has renamed the boozer in honour of Liverpool's opening Europa League fixture in the Austrian city tonight.
The Reds will take on LASK at 5:45pm today and excitement is gearing up in Linz as Liverpool fans arrive for the game.
An Irish pub located in the city has contributed to the buzz by renaming itself after a legend on and off the pitch for Liverpool: Sir Kenny Dalglish.
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The boozer was previously called 'The Chelsea' pub but changed its name this week to 'King Kenny's'. The bar has been the hub for the city’s Reds fans to watch all the Merseyside team’s fixtures for the last two decades.
Owner Kieran Bates, originally from Dublin, told the Liverpool ECHO: "Following a holiday to London, the Austrian couple that owned the bar named the pub 'The Chelsea', and had it looking like a British pub.
"I took over the pub in 2005 and wanted to change the name, but the locals begged me to keep the name, so I did.
"For years I was asked why it was called that by fans of other Premier League clubs back home when not one Chelsea fan ever visited and it was the home of Linz Liverpool fans for years, so I decided to change it with a legendary name behind it!"
As seen in their video announcement of the renaming on Facebook, the pub has transformed its interior along with the sign outside the bar to proudly showcase their love for the football club.
"We’ve got flags and scarves and the Liverpool colours around the pub," said Kieran.
The atmosphere is building for the game in Linz tomorrow as Liverpool fans start to arrive in Austria for the match. Kieran added: "I’m expecting them to arrive this afternoon, between 3pm and 6pm."
To celebrate the rebranding, the pub has also launched a new 'King Kenny' beer - from Austria’s oldest brewery. The pub claims it is the best pint you will ever have, but should you look for an alternative in the establishment they claim to have the "cheapest pints in all of Linz."
The Liverpool fan club in Linz will be hopeful that the six-time European Cup champions win the game comfortably - as there is seemingly no conflict of interest for the Reds visit.
"The Liverpool fan club would be more FC Blau-Weiß Linz fans, the rivals of LASK. They are enjoying their season back in the top flight, but they will struggle," Kieran said.
'King Kenny's' is also handy for a journey to the Raiffeisen Arena, as Kieran says the bus that goes to the stadium has a stop on the doorstep of the bar.
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