It has been announced that the quarter-final match between Real Madrid and Arsenal in the European soccer "UEFA Champions League" will be live-viewed at eight Aeon Cinemas nationwide on April 17th. It has also been announced that soccer commentator Sotaro Yasunaga and soccer coach Tatsuya Masushima will provide live commentary at Aeon Cinema Itabashi (Itabashi-ku, Tokyo).
The live viewing was made possible through a collaboration between WOWOW and AEON Entertainment, which operates AEON Cinema. In addition to AEON Cinema Itabashi, it will also be held at AEON Cinema Theatas Shinsaibashi (Chuo-ku, Osaka), AEON Cinema Theatas Chofu (Chofu, Tokyo), AEON Cinema Hiroshima (Minami-ku, Hiroshima), AEON Cinema Minatomirai (Naka-ku, Yokohama), AEON Cinema Ayakawa (Ayauta-gun, Kagawa Prefecture), AEON Cinema Kanazawa FORUS (Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture), and AEON Cinema Fukuoka (Kasuya-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture).
Admission to the live viewing theaters will begin at midnight on April 17th. The first match will be the quarter-final 1st leg, Arsenal vs. Real Madrid. The event will then kick off with the semi-final 2nd leg, Real Madrid vs. Arsenal, which is scheduled to kick off at 4am, and end around 7am. Tickets are priced at 5,000 yen at Aeon Cinema Itabashi and 4,000 yen at other Aeon Cinemas.
Yasunaga, who will be serving as a live commentator, commented, "I think the development of the second leg will change significantly depending on the result of the first leg, but if the match ultimately comes down to individual ability, I think Real Madrid will be closer to victory, but if the outcome is decided by team and organizational efforts and set plays, Arsenal will be closer to victory. I'm really looking forward to this match. Everyone has their own way of enjoying soccer. I think the appeal of live viewing is that people who are all soccer fans, even if they are on the same team, can get excited with the same enthusiasm in the same space, so I would like to enjoy myself and provide commentary that will help everyone enjoy themselves!"
Masushima said, "Just hearing the names of both teams, Real Madrid and Arsenal, makes this a big match that gets me excited! I'm really looking forward to it. I hope to be able to explain in an easy-to-understand manner to those who come to the venue the finer points of the game, such as the critical moments and set pieces that will determine the outcome! Let's have fun together at the venue!"
