Fans gathered outside Kai Tak Stadium on Friday waving giant flags and cheering in various languages ahead of the Audi Football Summit match between Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and English Premier League side Aston Villa.
Passionate groups of fans were clearly in a party mood, with Bayern supporters turning the area outside the stadium into a sea of red before kick-off.
Bayern Munich fan clubs from Hong Kong and mainland cities, including Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Dalian, congregated in groups outside the stadium.
“We started preparing almost a month-and-a-half ago when we received the news [about the fixture],” said Zhu Junru, captain of the Chengdu Bayern Munich Fan Club, who added that more than 100 members travelled from Chengdu specifically to see their team.
“People took different modes of travel. Some booked their own tickets, but our fan club purchased match tickets collectively, and a group of us flew over together,” Zhu, who is a telecommunications company employee, said.
Having flown in on Thursday from Chengdu, Zhu noted that organised group travel was safer given the size of the contingent.
