My Take | Top football clubs need to repay Asian fans with value for money
The visiting teams have a duty to respect and not take for granted their supporters who welcome any opportunity to see them play in the flesh
A famous English football club playing in Hong Kong is always a special occasion for the city’s fans, who rarely get to watch their heroes perform live.
Manchester United, arguably the biggest team in the world, are usually one of the most eagerly anticipated visitors.
But they arrived in the city last week under a cloud, at the end of their worst top-flight season in half a century, languishing in 15th place in the English Premier League.
United secured victory on Friday, beating a battling Hong Kong select XI 3-1. But the postseason Asian tour has raised questions.
The whistle-stop trip at the end of a gruelling season has been criticised amid concerns about the welfare of players facing a punishing schedule. One former footballer described it as “mad” and a British radio pundit branded the tour “utterly ridiculous”.
Hong Kong supporters, meanwhile, still smarting from the notorious non-appearance of revered superstar Lionel Messi in the city last year, might question whether they received value for money. Ticket prices ranged from HK$1,390 to HK$2,990, significantly higher than the sum I paid to watch United play Arsenal in the premier league.