Asia tunes in to Manchester United vs Barcelona, but will its own final prove a success?
Wednesday, 27 May 09, 10:41 AM · Comments(1)
Manchester United vs Barcelona may have Asian football fans tuning in to the UEFA Champions League final at all hours of the night, but there's no guarantee that the AFC's decision to hold the Asian Champions League final as a one-off event in Tokyo will prove a success.
AFC officials must have winced when Gamba Osaka were drawn to host Kawasaki Frontale in a one-off Round of 16 clash in June, with one of the tournament favourites set to depart at an early stage. Gamba are the defending Asian champions, but surely AFC officials are desperate for the free-scoring Frontale to reach the final - for no other reason than that their fans need only cross the Tama River to reach Tokyo's National Stadium.
The crumbling 'Kokuritsu' has been nominated as the venue for Asia's first one-off final since the Champions League was overhauled in 2003 - perhaps as a nod towards Tokyo's bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
But unless a Japanese team reaches the final, the clash could be played out against the backdrop of row upon row of empty seats in Tokyo, regardless of whether the final pits a team from West Asia against an eastern counterpart.
It appears a disaster in waiting for the AFC, who may counter by simply giving away thousands of free tickets to entice Japanese fans to fill the cavernous venue. It's a far cry from the media circus surrounding the UEFA Champions League final, and with millions of fans throughout Asia set to tune into the European equivalent, the AFC can only count on a fraction of that support when the Asian Champions League rolls around in December.
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MikeTuckerman
AU
1 Comments · Add yours
The idea is fraught with risk. The original concept of a two legged final has merit. The rationale for a final at a single venue is based upon the premise that Asian fans have the ability to travel to the final en mass. The cost of flights, visa issues and time taken to travel make travel for a single game impractical for most fans.
I watched Adelaide United play Gamba Osaka in the CWC at Toyota Stadium. I believe there were 15 or 20 of us there supporting Adelaide. It doesn't bode well for the ACL final.
The AFC need to acknowledge the fact that Asia isn't Europe, it's a wee bit bigger. Unfortunately I believe they are going to learn the hard way.