n the pitch, the highlight of the
European pre-season in Asia
was probably Harry Kane’s last-
minute halfway-line winner that
showed Singapore fans that
when you have paid top dollar
for a ticket then staying until the end is a good idea.
Off it, there were several contenders.
Manchester City left China with a stinging rebuke
about their lack of engagement with the local
media ringing in their ears – a big deal as it came
from the state-run Xinhua News Agency. A little to
the east, the only South Koreans seemingly not
upset with Juventus are lawyers preparing for up to
10,000 lawsuits from fans seeking compensation
from what became a messy affair.
While these commercial forays into Asia
have become slicker over the years, there is
still potential for slip-ups. The City criticism from
China seems harsh; more the opinion of one miffed
writer upset at a lack of access than an official
proclamation on behalf of Beijing. It did, however,
highlight the habit of European – and especially
English – clubs coming to Asia and giving the
travelling press preferential treatment over local
news outlets. It has long rankled and seems a little
counter-productive.
But when you are looking for new fans and
revenue streams then Asia can’t be ignored –
though Juventus may wish they had never gone
to Seoul. As things stand, the Italians will not be
invited to return to the South Korean capital and
other Asian megacities may think
twice about a visit from a club that
is, according to an unprecedented
official statement from Korea’s
professional league, “shameless”
and “arrogant”.
The build-up to the July 26 clash
between Juventus and a K-League
All-Star side was all about Cristiano
Ronaldo. The game was all about
Ronaldo. The immediate aftermath
was all about Ronaldo. But it soon
became a clash of cultures.
It all started when the K-LeagueJuventus
win few
friends
in Korea
Ronaldo no-show upsets hosts
gave The Fasta, a small
marketing agency in Seoul,
the rights to organise
and promote the game.
According to The Fasta,
who released a copy of the
contract, Ronaldo was guaranteed to play 45 minutes.
Pre-game marketing was focused on the five-time
Ballon d’Or winner and tickets that cost up to $330
were soon snapped up for what was likely to be a last
chance to see the 34-year-old.
Juventus arrived in Korea just a few hours before
kick-off, cancelled a fan-signing session and arrived late
at the stadium to delay the start by an hour. Ronaldo
was on the bench for the first half and it was fully
expected that he would appear after the break. He
didn’t, and as it became apparent that the white line
would remain uncrossed some fans began to leave,
while others chanted “Messi, Messi” and some booed.
Ronaldo left without saying anything to fans or the
media, with the only comment from the club coming
from coach Maurizio Sarri, who said that the player
had “muscle fatigue”. Back in Italy the next morning,
Ronaldo’s social-media post of himself on the treadmill
saying it was good to be home did not win any of his
old fans back, with one subsequent survey suggesting
that 85 per cent of his fans were fans no longer.
It wasn’t just the fact that Ronaldo did not play but
the general attitude of Juve that upset the hosts, with
no official explanation or apology for their actions.
The K-League wrote to Juventus in protest and
received a reply from chairman Andrea Agnelli, whoJOHN DUERDENBench...Ronaldo (far
left) did not play in
the Seoul friendlyAnticipation...fans await
the arrival of RonaldoO
Asia
While commercial forays into Asia
have become slicker over the years,
there is still potential for slip-ups