Club team World Championship was supposed to be a public festival. But when Premier League giant Chelsea faced Los Angeles FC in Atlanta, nearly 49,000 seats were empty.
I think the atmosphere was a bit strange. The arena was almost empty, said Chelsea's coach Enzo Maresca to BBC and continued:
One must adapt when playing in front of a full arena and when the arena is not full.
In total, only about 22,000 of the arena's 71,000 seats were occupied.
The match started at 15.00 local time on a Monday, which is seen as an explanation for the fiasco. Another can be the high ticket prices where the cheapest ticket before the match cost 350 kronor – a reduction from what they cost from the beginning, according to BBC.
