Wolfsburg were disappointed with the attendance for their first Champions League match in nearly six years, with CEO Klaus Allofs asking: "Where are all the people?"
The Bundesliga club beat CSKA Moscow 1-0 in their opening group game on Tuesday as a second-half goal from €36 million summer signing Julian Draxler secured all three points.
However, despite Wolfsburg recording a victory in their first Champions League match since December 2009, Allofs was far from pleased when he talked to reporters after the match.
Only 20,126 spectators turned up to see their side's return to Europe's elite club competition, with the Volkswagen Arena having a capacity of 26,385 for European games.
As a result, Allofs said that he was unable to enjoy the build-up to the meeting with CSKA.
"I didn't catch the Champions League anthem before the match, I needed to see where all the spectators were," he said. "I enjoyed our return, but I was annoyed that the turnout was that bad. The team does not deserve this.
"We had a great season last year to bring Champions League football back to our city and our fans. And the loyal fans were there, but a game like that deserves more spectators."
Draxler, used to a packed stadium from his time at Schalke, added: "Of course, it's nicer to play in front of a capacity crowd."
When Wolfsburg were unable to sell out their stadium for a Europa League game against Napoli last season, the club's fan liaison officer Holger Ballwanz blamed the kick-off time as it made it difficult for Volkswagen employees to attend -- the German car manufacturer's headquarters are based in the city of Wolfsburg.
"The kick-off time is a bit unfortunate -- basically all three shifts are affected by it," Ballwanz had said. "Those working the last shift can't do it, and the same applies to the night shift. Those working the morning shift the next day have to travel a bit after the match to get home, so it's bad for them as well."