Vibrant Crowd Welcomes Barcelona to Daegu for High-Profile Friendly
On August 4, Daegu FC is set to compete against the renowned Spanish club FC Barcelona in an eagerly awaited friendly game at Daegu Stadium. Barcelona thrilled supporters with an impressive 7-3 win over FC Seoul during an exciting match on July 31. The upcoming match in Daegu marks the concluding part of Barcelona's tour in Asia before they head back to Spain.
Playing against a globally recognized major club on home soil is a tremendous opportunity. While the Barcelona players declined to speak to the media, their talent was unmistakable. Yamin Yamali netted two goals in the first half against Seoul. The substitutes who came off the bench also performed admirably. Ferran Torres added two more goals in the second half, leading the team to a convincing victory by four goals.
Barcelona is now set to face Daegu, the last-place team in K League 1. Daegu Stadium is already filled with international football fans sporting Barcelona jerseys two hours prior to kickoff. Numerous supporters donning Barcelona shirts were seen departing Dong-Daegu Station en route to Daegu to attend the match.
Traffic around Daegu Stadium is currently at a standstill. It was challenging to reach the stadium without using public transportation. Upon my arrival at Daegu Stadium, I encountered thousands of Barcelona supporters. It felt as though one was in Spain.
A Barcelona merchandise shop has also set up in front of Daegu Stadium. The most sought-after item, the jerseys, have already been completely sold out. T-shirts made for the Asia tour have become the top sellers. Scarves and eco-friendly bags representing Barcelona were also in high demand. With so many fans gathered, most products were on the brink of being out of stock.
Daegu Stadium is located quite far from the city center of Daegu. The challenge is that there are no nearby commercial areas. Many fans satisfied their hunger at food trucks set up in front of the stadium, with lines stretching for 20 to 30 minutes just to grab a meal, resulting in a really congested scene.
Foreign fans were noticeably present, leading to an attempt to conduct interviews. They hailed from Timor-Leste, a small nation with a population of about 1.3 million situated between Australia and the Philippines. Korea has maintained a positive relationship with Timor-Leste since 1999, when it deployed the Sangnok Tree Force there.
Nassat shared, "I hail from Timor-Leste. Currently, I work in Korea and I am enjoying my time here. I have a great passion for football and I am a huge fan of Barcelona. I decided to take a holiday and traveled to Daegu after discovering that Barcelona would be playing here."
The pricing for the friendly match featuring Barcelona climbed to 600,000 won. The cheapest seats were priced at 80,000 won and 40,000 won. Nassat mentioned, "I reserved a seat in the second tier for 200,000 won because I wanted to create wonderful memories with my friends." While it's quite a bit of money, I think it's justified for a trip to Spain. I hope Barcelona manages to score many goals and secures a victory today. "I admire Lewandowski the most," he said, grinning.