Supporters outraged: ‘This is unreasonable’
Doha. At FIFA Fan Fest, there is everything a football fan could wish for, except what everyone else is looking for in the hot shade.
When Sportbladet visited the area, a fan passed out in the heat and had to leave in an ambulance.
– It’s unreasonable! There is no shade, nothing, says Gary, who traveled to the restroom from Australia.
“Feel the energy of football” is FIFA’s motto for the Fan Zone during the World Cup.
The big draw is the huge big screen that shows all the matches from the tournament. For fans who didn’t get tickets to the games, the rally point should be the rallying point to still experience the WC feeling.
When we visit the region, Argentina will play their opening match against Saudi Arabia and there are thousands of fans there. It quickly becomes apparent that it is not the seats closest to the screen that fans crowd, but the most desirable seats 150 meters from the screen where the ball can barely be seen.
When the match kicks off at 13.00 local time, the temperature is over 30 degrees and the only place fans can ask for sun protection is a strip of shade created by the huge grandstand of the grandstand’s VIP area.
“We tried to stand in front of the screen because we wanted to see the match well, but it was too hot, so we had to go into the shade,” says a fan from Canada.
“I don’t feel FIFA cares”
Just as the second half is about to begin, the inevitable happens in the heat in front of the screen, the person breaks down and needs help. Staff are quickly on the scene, giving the woman water and lifting her onto a stretcher before she is led away.
– This is unreasonable. No shade in the heat or anything. It was very poorly arranged, says Gary, who is critical of the World Cup and FIFA arrangements to make it easier for fans who have traveled to Doha.
– It is not just the festival area that is poorly managed. It’s hard to get around. The subways are crowded and the traffic is horrible, I don’t feel like FIFA cares.
On the first day the festival opened, chaotic photos were released of fans crammed into the crowds. The area holds 40,000 people, but there were reports that twice as many people tried to enter the area at the first show.
Many fans got stuck between the security check and the main area itself before the police got involved and directed people away.
