Overview
- Home crowds jumped from roughly 500 to sellouts of 1,880 at the Joachim-Deckarm-Halle, with the club saying it could have sold at least twice as many tickets.
- About 500 season tickets sold in two days, with 90–95% purchased from China, as many travelers buy passes to guarantee a chance to see Fan.
- Merchandise sales in two months matched a typical full season, and the club’s Weibo following rose from about 10,000 to 280,000 as sales into China begin.
- To manage demand, Saarbrücken added an extra tribune, launched a ticket resale platform, and scheduled select fixtures in the larger Saarlandhalle, including 21 December vs. Borussia Düsseldorf.
- Fan is slated for roughly 15 appearances on a one-year deal, staying in Germany during match blocks and otherwise returning to China, with home-game security in place and communication aided by coach Wang Zhi.