Rogério Ceni complained about the increase in ticket prices, which may have inhibited São Paulo fans from filling the stands in the 3-1 defeat to Flamengo, on Wednesday (24).
There were 53,365 spectators, the fourth largest attendance at Morumbi in 2022, behind only the final of Paulista against Palmeiras (60,383), the state semifinal against Corinthians (53,924) and the quarterfinals of the Copa Sul-Americana against Ceará (52,338) .
The information from almost all vehicles was that the cheapest ticket rose from R$45 to R$70.
It shouldn’t, not even in a country where the accumulated inflation of the last 12 months exceeds 10%.
But there is a detail that is rarely disclosed and that helps to understand why Brazil has the third highest average audience in the last 40 years, while the debates talk about boring football and high prices. The detail is the fan partner, the only one who really knows how much he pays.
A month ago, when the sale of Palmeiras x São Paulo for the Copa do Brasil opened, a girl named Bruna –my daughter– questioned: “The price has gone up a lot, it’s R$120!”. I replied, “Yes, but your membership plan hasn’t increased in three years.”
She continued: “You don’t understand. The ticket is R$120”. I replied: “If you pay R$ 136 monthly and you have 100% discount on the ticket, with four games at home in a month your price is R$ 34. How much do you pay at the cinema?”. After a quick search, Bruna verified: “I went to the cinema for the last time for R$55”.
The cheapest ticket for São Paulo vs Flamengo was R$75? Whoever pays R$ 17 in the red plan, as a member-supporter, has a 50% discount. As the month of August had five matches in Morumbi, the average ticket per match was R$ 3.40. Plus the R$37.50 to be paid with the rebate, the ticket costs R$42.
It has been more than ten years that there has been talk of elitism in stadiums. All social strata have to be represented in the stands, and there is much to improve in football – and in the country. Sometimes complete information is missing. If I spend the whole day hearing that I have to pay R$75 to go to the stadium, and if I’m not informed, I just won’t go.
Should it be cheaper? Sure! Milk should too, bread, theater, airline tickets…
Corinthians and Palmeiras partner plans have an attempt at loyalty. At Allianz Parque, only those who attend 80% of the games have access to the first pre-sale. The average attendance at the old Parque Antarctica, in the 1993 Brazilian Championship, was 16,000 per game. In the first round of this year, 34 thousand.
Ah, but who is not a member is not entitled to buy the ticket? Has. The price of not having loyalty will be paying dearly. In the past, there were games with more than 100,000 fans. In the finals, the price was increased by up to 100%. Flamengo x Santos for the first phase of the 1983 Brazilian had stands at Cr$ 500. In the final, record audience, they cost Cr$ 800.
It was cheaper compared to the minimum wage. Undoubtedly. But it rose 60% from the quarter-finals to the decision. In that championship, Flamengo played for 6,000 spectators against Tiradentes, at Maracanã, at Cr$ 500, and for 155 thousand against Santos, at Cr$ 800.
You woke up in the morning, looked at the sky, researched whether it was going to rain or shine and decided whether to go to the stadium or the beach. The box office was always open. The stadium, empty.
Except in the finals, when you paid 60% more.
The best average audience for Brazilians was 22,953 in 1983. Maracanã had 200,000 seats.
The fans are always right. The occasional customer does not.
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