Sports Weekly All-Media Correspondent Ma Dexing reports from Sharjah, UAE
On the morning of November 7, local time, the Chinese National Men’s Football Team successfully arrived in Sharjah. That night, the whole team went directly to the Sharjah Stadium for the first training session after arrival, sprinting for the game against Oman on November 11. Although the national football team was forced to abandon the home court and choose Sharjah as the final “home court”, different from the previous top 40 and top 12 matches, the Chinese Football Association has formally proposed to FIFA and AFC: Hope for Sharjah The “home court” can be open to fans. Currently, the Chinese Football Association is waiting for the approval of FIFA. In any case, this is undoubtedly a rare piece of good news for the national football team.
Open the court can create atmosphere
In accordance with the relevant regulations of FIFA and AFC, if due to irresistible factors, it is impossible to play the World Preliminaries at your home court and choose to play in a neutral place, the game will be played in an empty court. Therefore, when the Chinese team had previously played the last three “home games” of the top 40 in Sharjah, they were all empty. The accompanying team members of the Chinese Football Association delegation played the role of fans during the game and cheered for the national football team. The same was true when the Chinese team played against the Japanese team and the Vietnam team in Doha and Sharjah at the top 12 matches. To this end, the Vietnamese side also specifically “criticized” the Chinese Football Association, believing that the Chinese Football Association was “creating trouble” and deliberately prevented Vietnamese fans in the UAE from entering the stadium.
In fact, it is not just the Chinese team. For example, Iraq is banned from hosting the top 12 matches at home by FIFA. The Iraqi Football Association can only choose Doha for its home court. In the first two rounds, the Iraqi team was also empty. But in the middle of last month, after the Iraqi Football Association’s request to FIFA to return to Basra for the top 12 matches was not approved, the President of the Iraqi Football Association Adnan Drijar personally approached FIFA President Infantino to communicate. , Clearly stated: The Iraqi team can continue to play in Doha, but hope that FIFA will allow Iraqi fans to enter the stadium, which has been approved by FIFA.
The Chinese Football Association originally hoped to be able to host the two home games in November in China, but due to epidemic prevention requirements and failed to obtain approval from the relevant departments, the national football can only be kept away from the motherland for the game again. On the one hand, the Football Association is in contact with the UAE and Qatar to implement home games; on the other hand, the Chinese Football Association also proposed to FIFA that it hopes to allow it to be open to fans. Put forward such requirements and hopes, one is because the UAE and Qatar’s national leagues have been completely open to fans. Second, whether in the UAE or Qatar, the local Chinese are still more enthusiastic. In fact, in the first two “home games” of the top 12 games, many local fans rushed to the stadium to cheer for the national football in their own way outside the stadium.
Therefore, if you can allow fans to enter the stadium, at least you can create an atmosphere on the scene, so that the internationals can have a feeling of playing at home. Although this kind of atmosphere cannot be compared with the real home court, it can at least give the team a sense of “home”. Moreover, this is also the best game environment and atmosphere that the Chinese Football Association can create for the national team’s “home court” when the Chinese team cannot compete locally.
The fare is only RMB 87
It is understood that the Sharjah Stadium, which is hosting the Chinese team’s game, is not big in itself and claims to be able to accommodate 18,000 people, but the actual seats are only 12,499. Therefore, the Chinese Football Association proposed to FIFA and AFC to open 50% of the fans, that is, 6000 people. At the same time, in accordance with relevant regulations, if the home stadium opens up fans, the away team can get 8% of the open number. In other words, if the Chinese team’s application is approved by FIFA, the Oman team can get 480 tickets. And if the local Chinese fans in the UAE can fill the remaining 5520 seats, the victory of the Chinese fans will still completely overwhelm the momentum of the Oman fans, which will obviously benefit the national football game.
It is understood that the actual number of Chinese in the UAE has exceeded 300,000, and there are more than 4,500 Chinese-funded enterprises. Moreover, most Chinese live in Dubai, and the distance from Dubai to Sharjah is relatively short. Normally, there is no traffic jam, it can be reached in about 15 minutes. Therefore, if these Chinese can come to the scene to cheer for the national football team, it should be able to create a pretty good home atmosphere.
In order to attract more Chinese people to the scene to cheer for the national football team, the price of the ticket sales is understood to be quite cheap. It is uniformly planned to be 50 dirhams (equivalent to 87 yuan). The initial price of tickets for Omani fans is also 50 dirhams, but it may be adjusted.
At present, the Chinese Football Association is waiting for the final approval from FIFA and AFC. Only after the approval is obtained, the Chinese Football Association will entrust the relevant local departments in Sharjah to carry out ticket sales.
In any case, opening up to the fans can be regarded as a good news for the national football team after being forced to go west. Of course, the Chinese fans hope that the national football team can perform well in the cheering of the fans and achieve the desired result of the game.
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