On Wednesday, the Croatian handball team opened its performance in the second phase of the World Championship with a dominant victory, but the (lack of) attendance at the Zagreb Arena came into the foreground along with the victory.
During yesterday’s Croatia match, the current commentator and former player of the national team Vlado Šola touched on poor attendance:
It’s unbelievable to me that we have a problem like this now. I’m sorry that the fans didn’t recognize that they should come to games like this. Judging by the attendance of some important matches, we’re obviously more makeup artists than real fans.
Croatian handball players, used to loud support and crowded stands, could not believe what was happening. Scenes of half-empty stands flooded the world.
The organizers did their best to ensure that Croatian sports fans were not deprived of the handball and football spectacle. Because of this, the handball match was moved to a slightly earlier time, at 6 p.m., rather than at 9 p.m.
Arsenal and Dynamo they competed in the Champions League in London. But even a slightly earlier date should not be an excuse for such poor attendance of the handball match.
Ticket prices are also a problem for many. The cheapest day tickets for the first round in Zagreb 25 euros each have not been on sale for a long time. The remaining ones are from 60 and 70 euros, and that is too expensive for many.
The cheapest ticket for Varaždinska group, in which Macedonians and Hungarians played, cost 50 euros, and for Porecwhich hosted the French, 20 euros. In all cities, the best seats were 70 euros each, not counting the VIP boxes.
U Denmark ticket prices in the first round ranged from 280 to 1230 crowns, that is, around 38 for the cheapest to 165 euros for the best seats. U Norway tickets could be bought for 350 crowns, or 30 euros, and the most expensive were 790 crowns or 68 euros.
On Tuesday, they started the second round in ZagrebVaraždin, Herning and Oslo and the play-off for positions from 25th to 32nd place, hosted by Poreč.
And while in the Istrian city for those less important matches, the ticket price will range from five euros upwards, in Zagreb, tickets for the second round cost from 40 to 90 euros, and in Varaždin, the cheapest one is 80 euros. Better seats cost 100 euros.
All this is not helped by the expensive prices of drinks that have been circulating on the Internet for the last few days. Certainly the fans are carried away by euphoria, but a family of four has to spend around 250 euros in addition to tickets and drinks, which is not a small amount of money by current standards.
On Friday, at 20:30, Croatia will play against Icelandwhile the second phase will conclude with a neighborly duel against of Slovenia on Sunday at 20:30. The Zagreb Arena is expected to be full again at those matches.
(www.jabuka.tv | Photo: Matija Habljak/Pixsell)
