Kolkata, Oct 3 (PTI) A surprisingly subdued response greeted Vinicius Jr and Brazil at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday, with large sections of the stands empty for India’s historic friendly against the five-time world champions.
The biggest football event to be held in India failed to generate the fan frenzy usually associated with high-profile games at the venue.
Attendance appeared to be well below 30,000 at kick-off, a striking sight at a stadium accustomed to packed stands and intense crowds during Kolkata derbies.
However, the stands gradually filled up as the match progressed.
The Salt Lake Stadium regularly draws huge crowds for the Mohun Bagan-East Bengal derby, when crowds of around 50,000 are a common sight.
Even during Lionel Messi’s visit to Kolkata last December, the stadium was filled to the brim.
On derby days, thousands of fans can be seen outside the stadium waiting for tickets, while inside, supporters sing club songs, dance to drum beats and trade chants between the Mohun Bagan and East Bengal camps.
There was little of that frenzy on Saturday.
With both matches being held in the build up to the biggest festival season here — Durga Puja — fans mostly stayed away from spending heavily on two international matches within such a short span.
Even two-and-a-half hours before kick-off, several tickets were still available on the official District app. The rush outside the stadium was limited, and there was little of the usual sea of supporters making their way into the stands.
Brazilian flags were also surprisingly hard to spot but the country’s media contingent caught the attention as it loudly sang its national anthem ‘Hino Nacional Brasileiro’ before kickoff.
The crowd appeared to be split between the two teams, with some fans wearing Brazil jerseys while carrying Indian flags as they came into the stadium.
Ticket prices a dampener
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High ticket prices and Durga Puja festivities appeared to be one of the main reasons for the subdued response.
Two hours before kick-off, tickets in several blocks were still available, with prices ranging from Rs 3,500 to Rs 6,000. Tickets were available in D1 and B1 at Rs 3,500, B3, D3 and C1 at Rs 5,000, and C3 and D2 at Rs 6,000.
There is another friendly against two time former World Cup champions Uruguay on October 6 but sales for that also have taken a hit despite the All India Football Federation’s efforts to boost them through some of India’s biggest football clubs.
Mohun Bagan received 6,000 tickets but sold only 90, while East Bengal, allocated 4,000, received requests for 400. The IFA was given 2,000 tickets but received just 24 requests from its affiliated units.
Mohammedan Sporting received 3,000 tickets but did not disclose its sales figures. A report said the response was poor, with one senior club official buying 12 tickets himself.
High prices appear to be a key factor.
Tickets allocated to the clubs and IFA were priced at Rs 6,000, or Rs 5,400 after a 10 per cent discount. Officials said cheaper tickets were available online, making the discounted tickets less attractive.
An IFA official despite being the hosts they were “completely sidelined” in the organisation of the match.
“IFA may be the host organisation but we have been completely sidelined. AIFF has not kept us in the loop and there are no complimentary tickets. We have got some 6,000 tickets after discount at Rs 5,400, but there are no takers. People here are used to seeing matches for less than Rs 500,” the official told PTI.
The bigger concern now is the India-Uruguay friendly on Tuesday and it remains to be seen if the friendlies live up to the hype. PTI TAP BS
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This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.