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Paul McNamara

Disgruntled supporters have hit out at organisers of next month’s Hong Kong clash between Bayern Munich and Aston Villa after top-tier ticket prices were slashed by HK$1,000 (US$128).
Meanwhile, Saturday’s game between Manchester City and Inter Milan, and the friendly between Chelsea and Juventus the following Wednesday have both proved a tough sell, with thousands of seats still available.
Around 30,000 have been sold for the first part of the Hong Kong Football Festival, which is being played in the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium.
But it is the third of next week’s matches, which is not part of the festival, that has caused most anger among fans.
With tickets ranging from HK$2,688 to HK$388 available, Now Sports launched a “special sponsor offer” on Tuesday, chopping prices in the three most expensive categories by HK$1,000, HK$900 and HK$700, respectively.
One mainland China social media user, who said they had bought two HK$1,888 tickets which are now available for HK$1,188, accused promoters Kuokai Sports and Scramble Events of “treating fans like cash cows to be harvested”.
“If you can’t manage an event properly, don’t run it at all,” the poster added. “The organisers need to step up and refund the price difference!!!”
In April, Bayern’s chief marketing officer Rouven Kasper said his club had the pulling power to “fill two stadiums” in Hong Kong.
Boasting an estimated mainland China fan base of more than 143 million, the six-times European champions apparently set aside 10,000 tickets for supporters from across the border.
Nonetheless, the meeting with Europa League winners Villa, who have a Uefa Super Cup date with Paris Saint-Germain in Austria five days after their Hong Kong engagement, has not sparked fans’ imaginations.

Bayern will be without Harry Kane and Michael Olise after the pair reached the World Cup semi-finals with England and France, respectively.
Attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala underwent minor surgery following Germany’s World Cup exit, while teenage star Lennart Karl and forward Serge Gnabry are both recovering from injuries.
Another social media user urged fans who had bought tickets before the price cuts to lodge a complaint against Kuokai Sports with Guangzhou 12345, a consumer complaint hotline.
Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that ticket sales for three matches in Hong Kong this summer had been “quite strong” given the absence of some high-profile players.
“About two-thirds of the total tickets have already been sold,” she said. “This proves that the clubs themselves possess genuine drawing power, which makes a world of difference.”

Among those missing from the Manchester City squad are Erling Haaland, who is still on his post-World Cup break, and Rodri, who has had back surgery after winning it all with Spain.
Still, the likes of Phil Foden, Antoine Semenyo, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Mateo Kovacic and Tijani Rejnders all make the trip, alongside promising youngsters Ryan McAidoo, 18, and 20-year-old Jaden Heskey, the son of former England centre-forward Emile Heskey.
City’s meeting with Inter is a repeat of the 2023 Champions League final that the Premier League side won 1-0. It also marks the first game for new boss Enzo Maresca, and the first time since 2016 that City have played without former manager Pep Guardiola in charge.
Law, meanwhile, believed some supporters were “adopting a wait-and-see approach, keeping an eye on the weather and hoping for good conditions”.
“Everyone was discussing whether Haaland would come, wanting to see him drinking local herbal tea in Hong Kong and things like that,” she added.
“But seeing how hard he pushed himself [in the World Cup], letting him rest is only fair. If he doesn’t rest now, the Premier League season kicks off in mid-August, and it’s the exact same story for many other stars.
“So while we still maintain standards for the line-up, if you expect a so-called full team featuring players who competed in the final stages of the World Cup, as we explained early on, that was always unlikely.”


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Football

Promoters of Bayern Munich v Aston Villa cut up to HK$1,000 off cost of ticket. Manchester City, Chelsea games at Kai Tak struggle to sell out


Promoters of Bayern Munich v Aston Villa cut up to HK$1,000 off cost of ticket. Manchester City, Chelsea games at Kai Tak struggle to sell out.


Fans’ fury as Bayern ticket prices slashed, thousands of seats unsold for 3 matches

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Promoters of Bayern Munich v Aston Villa cut up to HK$1,000 off cost of ticket. Manchester City, Chelsea games at Kai Tak struggle to sell out

Promoters of Bayern Munich v Aston Villa cut up to HK$1,000 off cost of ticket. Manchester City, Chelsea games at Kai Tak struggle to sell out