Tonight is the return of football at YueXiuShan Stadium. It’s been 516 days since a game was openly played here because of COVID. As an avid Guangzhou City (FuLi) fan, I’ve been looking forward to this day for a while. However it hasn’t been easy, due to being a foreigner 1/x

I deliberated whether I should even mention this, because I did end up getting tickets. However it just shows how frustrating it sometimes is being a foreigner in China. As part of an official international fan group we were initially offered tickets by the club 2/x

However, we were also told we couldn’t be with the other Chinese fan groups because well we were foreign. We were told it was a CSL policy and that they were waiting to hear where we could be issued tickets. (3/x)

However, the Suzhou bubble, where the other half of the CSL games are being played allows foreigners to buy tickets on the ticket website directly but foreigners can’t do so for the Guangzhou bubble 4/x

The two screenshots are the registration page for the respective bubbles. 护照 means passport and you can register with and buy in Suzhou. However 身份证, Chinese ID, is the only option for those buying in the Guangzhou bubble 5/x

So fast forward to the day before the game and the club said sorry we can’t get you tickets. This left us in a pickle because we can’t get tickets any other way. An official international fan group that averages 60-80 season ticket holders per season is left out to dry 6/x

So obviously many of us, those who know what’s going on, are pretty upset about the situation. We have loyally supported the smallest team, by attendance, in the league (8-10k avg per game) for 9 years as an official supporters’ group 7/x

Is it only the team’s fault? No, probably not. Is it only the CSL’s fault? No, probably not. But it’s hurts when something you enjoy and fully support and are treated differently because you are a foreigner. 8/x

The club later contacted us and said they did secure 25 tickets for our group. We still pay; they aren’t given to us. So we do end up getting to go. But I question if it’s going to be like this every match. A fight just to see a game because my passport or ID isn’t Chinese 9/x

All of the first 14 matches will be in Guangzhou, at various stadiums, because of the bubble. I had planned to go to all, or as many as I could. However, if it’s going to be like this every week or every game then why should I bother 10/x

And that’s the problem. People will say well they do allow foreigners to go; they aren’t stopping foreigners from going. But they aren’t making it easily accessible for foreigners to go either and making it difficult to the point why should we bother. 11/x

As a fan that’s traveled all over China to watch this team and openly support Chinese football, it does hurt to see this and be treated this way. 12/12