This is the second post in a series of three in which I will review the three stadiums in which I have attended FIFA games. Up next is Spartak Stadium in Moscow.
Spartak Stadium - Poland v. Senegal - June 19, 2018. Spartak Stadium is home to Russia’s premier league team, FC Spartak. Built in 2014, it seats approximately 45,000 fans. From a distance, the red checkered coloring of the exterior of the stadium reminds me of the scales on snake skin. An inviting place to see a game as a home fan but a menacing presence on the horizon for opposing fans. The red tones made the venue feel like a Polish home game and with the Polish fans out numbering the Senegalese almost 5 to 1, it certainly felt like it.
The metro conveniently dropped us off just outside the stadium but the routing of fans trekking to the venue was very long and out of the way, adding almost an extra 1/4 - 1/2 mile to the walk. Once through security, it was very easy to find my section and seat. Now, keep in mind my seat for this game was the closest I’ve ever sat to a field for almost any sporting event I can remember attending, 3rd row behind one of the goals. The inside of the stadium concourse on the first level is wide open and provides a lot of space for fans to move around, gather up provisions from the concessions and easily locate the souvenir stand. Once in my seat, the stadium’s smaller scale provides an intimate place to watch a football game. The endless din of the cheering Senegalese and Polish fans were accentuated by the stadium’s acoustics and added to the intensity of the World Cup match. As for my seat, the sight lines of the rest of the stadium were unobstructed but I soon realized that sitting that close to the field inhibited my ability to follow the action occurring on the opposite end of the field. The thing that rescued me from this issue was the large tv screen suspended from the stadium opposite my seat that showed the live action.
This was probably my least favorite game of the three only because of the issue just mentioned and the unruly and obnoxious fan sitting a few seats over who was more worried about waving his flag and disturbing the fans around him than watching the game taking place 20 yards in front of him. The security staff did their best to control him but every time they walked away, he just continued with his flag waving. Not sure what more security could have done, save for kicking him out or taking his flag away, but these are the things you deal with at events like this.
The last and final thing I want to touch on with my experience at Spartak is the corralling of exiting fans by the entourage of Russian soldiers. We were forced to exit the same way we came in down the extra long winding road and as we approached the entrances to the metro, a line of menacing and strict soldiers lined up on either side of the sidewalk and did not allow anyone to veer off track and wait for friends off to the side. One entire metro entrance was closed off so every single fan was forced into a single entrance. Myself and my three classmates were able to convince a soldier to let us into the street to wait for the rest of our party but getting back into line once they arrived was another ordeal. Eventually we made it over to our group mates but it was quite a bit of effort to do so. I completely agree with crowd control and order but this was over the top and not necessary.
Overall, the stadium experience was pleasurable and save for a few minor issues I would absolutely watch another game at this venue in the future. Stay tuned for the third and final installation where I review the site is the World Cup Final in Moscow, Luzhniki Stadium.
