Fans in Hong Kong who shelled over Rs 76,000 (HK$7,000) each to have a chance to meet Real Madrid players, were left disappointed after the majority were prevented from even catching a single glimpse of their idols. The incident transpired as the Real Madrid and Barcelona Legends teams played an exhibition match in Hong Kong Stadium on Friday to celebrate the storied history between the two clubs. However, what was supposed to be an iconic event, turned into a source of frustration for many fans.
The fans who forked out money for the expensive "Experience Set" ticket were promised that there would be a meet and greet session with the stars from either team before the match, according to an SCMP report. June Lee, president of the Real Madrid Hong Kong Official Fans Club, claimed that many members were unable to meet their idols due to what appeared to be over-selling or mismanagement of the event.
“[On Friday morning], they had a meet and greet at the Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy, and we had 26 members who bought the HK$6,880 ticket to get inside,” said Ms Lee.
Galacticos such as Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos, and Fabio Cannavaro had already left the venue by the time fans managed to get inside the meet-and-greet area at the Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy.
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Reimbursement for fans?
“The players were there to sign the autographs and take photographs. Some people arrived late, and some people arrived without tickets....also people tried to get more than one item signed per person," said Ian Holahan, director of World Football Legends (WFL) which co-organised the event alongside Timewow and ACO Media.
Quizzed if the fans would be reimbursed, Mr Holahan deflected and passed the blame on his co-organisers.
“The event, including the autograph session, was organised by Timewow. As such, they would be the best point of contact for any inquiries or concerns regarding the event arrangements and delivery."
The day's disappointment was compounded by the match itself, which did not live up to the hype. Instead of an engaging display of skill and nostalgia, fans were left with the bitter taste of an event poorly organized. Only 7,982 fans attended the match where Barcelona Legends prevailed with a 5-2 scoreline. Sever disappointed fans took to social media and shared images of the empty stadium, claiming that it would have been full, had the authorities managed the situation better.
