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After the match against Los Angeles with tens of thousands of empty seats at Mercedes-Benz, Atlanta, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said it was "a strange experience to play in a nearly empty stadium".
FIFA has been using a variety of methods to fill the stands, from discounts and free tickets to advertising and media spending. The 80,619 fans who came to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to watch PSG vs Atletico were a dream come true.
However, for fans, the time at the Rose Bowl was not very pleasant. Some even described it as a "terrible" and "dangerous" afternoon after being crowded in hot conditions up to 31 degrees Celsius and lacking drinking water.
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A record 80,619 fans turned out for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to watch PSG take on Atletico. |
FIFA regulations only allow transparent plastic water bottles to be brought into the stadium, so fans had to throw away many non-standard water bottles outside the stadium, then fell into a state of water shortage during the match that took place at noon.
“There’s no way to buy water,” fan John Celmins told The Guardian. “There’s only one beer stand at the Rose Bowl, no water. And no refill stations.”
Heavy traffic, packed crowds and long lines are nothing new at the Rose Bowl, which opened in 1922. But those problems were exacerbated during a hot, noon kickoff with no covered seating.
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Fans lined up at the Rose Bowl. |
Another viewer, Bryan Gonzalez of Oakland, California, said the only way to cool down was to head to the misting stations near the bathrooms. “There were long lines of people there, taking turns,” he said.
Many have attended events at the Rose Bowl many times, but never have the logistics been as poor as at the FIFA Club World Cup, which has made them hesitant to attend the World Cup next year.
“This stadium usually does well with close to 90,000 fans, but today it was miserable with 81,000. I really don't understand,” Celmins commented, “I probably won't be able to go to the 2026 World Cup after this bad experience."
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Fans endured intense heat as the match took place at midday. |
In an effort to attract more spectators to the stadium, FIFA spent an additional $50 million to hire influencers to promote the tournament on Instagram. But it was on this social network that many negative comments appeared. In a post on the Rosebowl Instagram account, one user described attending the match as the “worst mistake” of their lives. “We got sunburned and our whole bodies hurt,” Khusan Madimov wrote.
Another Instagram user, Val Wright, said: “What a dangerous experience. Long lines at the exits before and during the game. Even the Pasadena Fire Department trying to get a heatstroke victim to the hospital couldn’t get through. I’ve been to football games all over the world and I’ve never felt so unsafe. We eventually got out at half-time.”
According to the Guardian, FIFA will closely monitor developments at matches to ensure safety in hot weather conditions, and take measures to protect fans' health if necessary.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/khi-xem-fifa-club-world-cup-la-mot-trai-nghiem-nguy-hiem-post1752421.tpo
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