European football governing body UEFA has revealed clubs in Europe lost a staggering €4bn (£3.3bn/$4.5bn) in 2021, with the majority of the losses coming from a fall in gate receipts due to the pandemic. Other factors included a reshaped calendar, television rebates and a loss of commercial and sponsorship revenue. The €4bn figure is even …
Applications for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tickets now open
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ticket application phase launched today (Wednesday) with a range of prices and packages to attract local and global fans, including a special fourth category that allows local residents to secure tickets for as little as QAR 40 (£8/$11/€10). During the initial sales period which ends on February 8, fans …
Passionate packages for passionate fans
Football icon Eric Cantona has launched a new travel brand, which will provide football trips for fans to experience the passion behind the teams and stadiums, through the surrounding cities and communities. Looking FC has been launched in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based travel start-up Dharma. The four-day trips have been created by Cantona and will …
England fan disorder at Euro 2020 final ‘close to claiming lives’
English Football Association (FA) CEO Mark Bullingham today (Friday) apologised for the “terrible experience” many suffered within Wembley Stadium after an independent review stated the “appalling scenes of disorder” which marred the UEFA Euro 2020 final came “perilously close to putting lives at risk”. The FA announced on July 19 that an independent review led by Baroness …
Proof of ID needed in Switzerland in bid to stamp out hooliganism
Switzerland’s football fans will have to provide proof of identity before entering stadiums in a bid to stamp out hooliganism. Following a meeting of the Conference of Cantonal Justice and Police Directors (CCJPD) in Mendrisio, Ticino, officials decided that fans will have to provide proof of identity before being allowed to enter stadiums for games …
Everton not ready to scrap ticketing cards
English Premier League football club Everton is not ready to dispense with established ticketing methods despite the broader shift towards mobile access across the industry. Georgia Bekyra, Everton’s senior manager of ticketing, told TheTicketingBusiness.com that the club had not seen persuasive evidence that fans are ready for physical cards to be scrapped, even though the …
UEFA seeks new ticketing customer services partner
Europe’s football governing body UEFA is looking for a new company or companies to partner with between 2022 and 2025 in a ticketing customer services role. UEFA is seeking one or more companies to provide ticketing customer services for the Champions League final, the Europa League final, the Super Cup and the Europa Conference League …
Stage Front to focus on Mexico in LaLiga deal
LaLiga North America has expanded further into Mexico through a recently announced partnership extension with ticketing company Stage Front. LaLiga North America is a joint venture between the Spanish top tier football league LaLiga and New York-based Relevent Sports Group, which is an international football events and media business. Relevent supports the representation of LaLiga …