Rajamangala becomes sea of red

Rajamangala becomes sea of red

Organisers must feel relieved as drama ends

Fans hold Laos' national flag ahead of yesterday's match. (Photos: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
Fans hold Laos' national flag ahead of yesterday's match. (Photos: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

Fans flocked to Rajamangala National Stadium to watch Liverpool and Manchester United -- the most popular football teams among Thais -- play in a friendly on Tuesday night.

The venue became a sea of red as most spectators wore red shirts.

A match between the English Premier League rivals is dubbed the "Red War" by the Thai press and fans.

It was Erik ten Hag's first game in charge of Manchester United, known simply as "Man U" in Thailand and this part of the world.

Organisers of THE MATCH Bangkok Century Cup 2022 must breathe a sigh of relief after the game.

The build-up to the match was full of drama.

Many fans complained that tickets which were priced at 5,000, 20,000 and 25,000 baht were much too high, although some argued that this was much cheaper than going to England to watch them play in a competitive match.

Just days before the game, many ticket holders were upset and cried foul when they learned that an online influencer was selling tickets at cut prices.

Moreover, some sponsors gave away free tickets to fans at the stadium yesterday although they claimed the number was small.

Fans of Jackson Wang outside the stadium.

"There has been criticism of the prices being charged for today's game in Bangkok, which are even more than it costs to get into a Justin Bieber concert here in November," wrote BBC Sport's Simon Stone.

"There is some sympathy for the organisers though. Both Liverpool and Manchester United demanded high-class surfaces, not only at Rajamangala Stadium but at their training facilities as well.

"Liverpool even had their own groundsman on hand last night to give the pitch a mow and a roll in the half-hour gap from United's training session to theirs."

The organisers repeatedly said Man U superstar Cristiano Ronaldo would definitely come to Bangkok but in the end the Portugal forward did not, although this was not their fault.

To lure younger fans, the organisers also arranged a concert by K-Pop star Jackson Wang.

United left for Australia after the match last night, while Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp and his men will depart for Singapore today.

Fulham sign Pereira

Fulham signed Manchester United's Brazil midfielder Andreas Pereira in a deal worth a reported £10 million on Monday.

Pereira agreed a four-year contract with the newly promoted Premier League club, who are believed to have paid an initial £8 million and a further £2 million in potential add-ons.

"I'm very happy to be here and I can't wait to start the season with Fulham," he said. "I want to help Fulham as much as I can to be where they belong," he said.

Pereira made 75 appearances and scored four goals for United, who have loaned him out to Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo.

Rooney to coach DC United

Former Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney has reached an agreement to coach Major League Soccer team DC United, for which he played between 2018 and 2019.

The 36-year-old will join the team once visa formalities are finalised, ESPN and The Athletic reported.

A reporter for The Athletic tweeted a photo of Rooney at Dulles International Airport outside Washington on Sunday. 

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