Liverpool Football Club supporters’ union Spirit of Shankly (SOS) has called out European football governing body UEFA over the ticketing allocation for the upcoming Champions League final between Liverpool and Spanish club Real Madrid.
The Premier League club and opponents Real Madrid have each been allocated 19,618 tickets for the final at Stade de France in Paris. The stadium will have a capacity of 75,000 for the final, though it can hold up to just over 80,000 spectators.
There are four ticketing categories with tickets costing £50.32 (€58/$62), £125.79, £410.91 and £578.63. The two cheapest category tickets have been discounted at the request of the semi-finalists after UEFA proposed 5,000 free tickets to each finalist. These tickets amount to roughly 15,500 seats per club.
Over 65s, young adults (aged 17-21) or juniors will also receive no reduction in price.
The ticket allocation for Liverpool and Real Madrid amounts to just 52.3% of the final’s capacity, with a further 12,000 tickets to be allocated via a public ballot. The remaining 23,764 tickets will be given to the UEFA “family” as SOS states and corporate sponsors.
In an open letter to UEFA, SOS said: “Unfortunately, for some of those lucky enough to get a ticket, the cost will be prohibitive. There are four price categories, ranging from €70 to €690. The majority of tickets are in category three and cost €180 each. There are no concessions for over-65s or under-16s. Previously child-adult packages have been available, but no more.”
The supporters’ union also accused UEFA of wanting “more” and said: “Since 2018, when LFC last played Real Madrid in the final, UEFA’s ticket revenue – based on our allocation – has gone from €3.06m to €4.22m, which equates to a 38% increase in four years.”
The letter also said that for those lucky enough to purchase a ticket, “the cost will be prohibitive”.
Spirit of Shankly’s letter concluded: “Football supporters are tired of being ripped off. Tired of watching their team reach a final, but unable to find a ticket to attend. And tired of exorbitant prices.
“It’s time UEFA recognised the power of fans and the importance of fans above sponsorships.”
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp told the Guardian newspaper: “I understand 100,000% where Spirit of Shankly is coming from. It is absolutely not right but it happens everywhere. It doesn’t make it better, just in this specific case you are not only paying more than last time for a ticket but you only get 50% of the tickets and the rest goes to people who pay thousands and thousands for the tickets.
“That’s how all the money is made. The atmosphere, 20,000 Reds are responsible for that. Do I like it? No. Will I change it? To talk about it is right but you have to write about it too because most of us think the same.”
Image: Zakarie Faibis/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size