Fool to capacity
UEFA decision to hold Europa final in 43,000 stadium is insult to fans
RANGERS fans will travel from every corner of the globe to Seville for the Europa League Final.
It’s just a pity so few of them or their German counterparts will actually get into the stadium to see it.
There are two burning questions with that. First, why is a 42,000-capacity arena such as the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan being chosen for one of Europe’s showpiece games?
And, secondly, why are so many of the seats going to be filled by people who are not genuine fans of either club?
Rangers have received around 9,500 to distribute and it seems Eintracht Frankfurt are the same.
If that’s the case, that still leaves about 21,000 tickets unaccounted for. Over 50 per cent. Where are they going? To whom? Dignitaries? Sponsors? Come on.
Jurgen Klopp addressed this issue perfectly when he spoke out in support of the Liverpool fans who are deeply upset at the arrangements for their Champions League Final against Real Madrid.
Liverpool have been allocated just 20,000 tickets for this month’s showpiece against the Spaniards, despite the Stade de France boasting a capacity of around 75,000. Pricing is another issue with fans union Spirit of Shankly writing an open letter to UEFA urging them to reconsider the extortionate ticket charges, set between £50 and £578, with 20 per cent of
Subdeck Real get 20,000 and there’s 75,000 in? That makes 35,000. What? Where are these tickets?
“It’s about money. UEFA are their allocation priced at £410 not the saints of football, they or higher, and the majority never were. Nobody cares. £150 or more. That’s the world we are living
UEFA president Aleksandr in. We can all say ‘these are Ceferin has suggested that the bad guys, these are the bad 4000 of the tickets each given guys’ but opportunity makes to Rangers and Eintracht as bad guys. freebies is a way of saying “UEFA have one of the ‘thank you’ to supporters for biggest games ever and will following their teams in not gift tickets like this. That’s Europe during the pandemic. the world we are living in.
But Klopp nailed it when he “It’s absolutely not right. In hit out at UEFA’s greedy this case you’re not only pricing and allocation of paying more than last time for tickets for his team’s game a ticket but you only get 50 per in Paris. cent of the tickets and the rest
He said: “When you see the goes to people who pay thousands ticket prices and the amount and thousands. That’s of tickets you get, is it right? how the money’s made.” Is it right we only get 20,000, At least Rangers supporters
are not being absolutely screwed in the same way in terms of pricing.
It’s understood all of the tickets for purchase are under £100 for the sections which will house Ibrox fans.
That’s at least something, but who knows what the prices will end up being for the tickets that inevitably fall into the hands of touts desperate to take advantage of a true fan’s loyalty.
But the fact so few of the Ibrox or Eintracht punters can get their hands on them is a source of great frustration.
Let’s be honest, it’s not just Rangers here. Eintracht took 30,000 fans into the Nou Camp alone for a game earlier in the tournament, so they are just as affected.
Ticket arguments have been going on for years, but this a drum that needs to keep being beaten.
For a start, why is a stadium for the Europa League Final half the size of the one for the Champions League Final? Does it not mean as much to UEFA because it does to those involved. Klopp’s right, it will be about money but capacity and seats is the biggest issue.
Football is about fans, so any chance you could let more of the genuine ones in?