Samba treat for city fans as Brazil win hearts, match

Kolkata: The City of Joy plunged into football fever on Sunday with two heavyweights Germany and Brazil playing against each other in the quarter-final match of the FIFA Under-17 Football World Cup at Swami Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan.

The gallery packed with spectators kept cheering for players from both the football teams, creating a different atmosphere altogether.

Spectators mostly clad in jerseys of both the teams were found entering the stadium cheering for their respective favourites.

The city dwellers thronged the stadium to watch both teams play.

There was huge demand for tickets of Sunday's match at Swami Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan.

Finally, those who managed to lay their hands on the coveted piece of paper were found standing outside the stadium at least a couple of hours ahead of the match to enter the dream venue that was declared world-class by FIFA authorities after its renovation by the Mamata Banerjee government.

Assessing the intensity of the match, the police had intensified their vigil and took necessary steps to avoid untoward incidents during the match between Brazil and Germany.

All necessary measures have been put in place for all the matches of the FIFA Under-17 Football World Cup that has begun in India from October 6 with the final being held in Kolkata on October 28.

The police had started receiving information about the craze for Sunday's match between Germany and Brazil well ahead of schedule.

They also came to know about the demand for tickets to watch the match. The cops had also kept close watch to check black-marketing of tickets. Policemen in plainclothes were posted in different strategic locations.

Based on information, the police had assessed the massive number of people visiting the ground and had taken appropriate steps.

The policemen were found directing people to follow the set norms and it helped them to get an easy and hassle free entry into the stadium.

Moreover, the cops have properly managed the movement of traffic and there was no complaint of even movement of vehicles getting slowed down when there were thousands of foreign delegates visiting the venue for the match.

The state Transport department played a vital role in helping thousands of people not only to reach the stadium without facing any inconvenience but also ensured proper transport facility after the high-voltage match ended at night.