Kunming (China), July 27: Real Madrid have been winning few friends in China as the Spanish champions forced hundreds of eager fans to wait more than an hour in the pouring rain before stepping on to the field Sunday. Real held off taking the main field at the Hongta Sports Center where organizers had built a makeshift grandstand, choosing to practice on a neighbouring field that afforded no view to ticket holding Chinese fans.
Fans braved heavy rain for more than hour as Real ran through a series of drills before finally taking the main field at 11:00 am (0300 GMT), exiting 45 minutes later.
"It was not good at all. It was much too short and I waited in the rain for more than one hour," said one young fan who had paid 250 yuan (30 dollars) for an entrance ticket to the see his favourite team.
Real Madrid deputy general manager Emilio Butraqueno said bad weather was partly to blame, with the rain-soaked pitched undergoing damage with the continuous play.
"We're having a problem with the weather and field number four is being ruined," Butraqueno told reporters.
However, it was the second day running that Real had upset fans.
On Saturday, the nine-time European champs stranded hundreds of more fans, failing to turn up for their first official practice session of their week-long stay in the southwestern city of Kunming.
Waiting until an afternoon press conference to explain the no-show, they chalked it up to a misunderstanding on the part of local organisers and said they had never intended to train that morning. Bureau Report