Business · India Bureau
Manchester City cruise past AEK Athens 5-1 as Etihad attendance falls short
Manchester City's dominant 5-1 victory over AEK Athens in the Champions League was overshadowed by a notably sparse crowd at the Etihad Stadium. The attendance of 40,042 represented a significant shortfall for the newly-expanded 61,000-capacity venue.
LSN India ·
The Premier League champions' commanding performance on the pitch contrasted sharply with visible rows of empty seats throughout the stadium on Wednesday evening. The turnout marked the lowest home attendance of City's season thus far, falling well below the 60,000-plus figures recorded at virtually all other domestic fixtures.
The sparse crowd was particularly notable given that City's previous lowest home attendance this season stood at approximately 32,000 during an English League Cup encounter against Norwich City last month. Most regular league and European matches have drawn capacity or near-capacity crowds at the expanded ground.
City manager Enzo Maresca sought to focus on the quality of engagement from those supporters who did attend. "The ones that were in the stadium, they were good," Maresca said, pointing to similar fan enthusiasm during City's recent fixture against Ipswich. He expressed confidence that upcoming home matches against Brighton would draw a more substantial crowd and generate the atmosphere the club expects.
The muted turnout came amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the club's financial conduct inquiry, which has cast a shadow over recent operations at the Manchester institution.