Video | Paris Saint-Germain light up Hong Kong Stadium - but organisers fail to break even
Zlatan Ibrahimovic nets hat-trick against Kitchee, but Hong Kong champions' boss says 17,000 crowd will leave organisers out of pocket
The chance to watch Paris Saint-Germain star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic play in the flesh was not enough to fill Hong Kong Stadium with soccer fans last night, as organisers complained they would be out of pocket following the French champions’ victory over Kitchee.
Just 17,000 fans paid to watch Ibrahimovic’s side demolish the hosts 6-2 in a preseason friendly, with the Sweden striker scoring a hat trick.
Kitchee boss Ken Ng Kin said organisers would not break even as the attendance failed to reach 20,000 and gate receipts of HK$6.92 million would not be enough to cover the expected HK$10 million cost of hosting the game.
Hong Kong Stadium has a capacity of 40,000 and ticket prices ranged from HK$330 to HK$780, with concessionary tickets at HK$180.
They were simply too good for us and they taught us a lesson on how to play a real pressing game instead
Ng said it was a pity fewer people showed up, considering the calibre that the Ligue 1 winners of the past two seasons displayed.