Aston Villa fans have been furious with the club after the released price of tickets for the Champions League.
The Claret and Blue side will return to the prestigious competition for the first time in over 40 years this month after Unai Emery guided the club to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season.
There was plenty of hype around the tournament, especially as a rematch of the 1982 European Cup final was scheduled at Villa Park in October as they take on Bayern Munich.
Supporters could end up paying £97 for a ticket, with at least four home games set to be played.
Stan Collymore also hit out at the Champions League ticket prices, calling them ‘disgraceful’.
Now, in the aftermath of the outrage, Villa’s President of Business Operations Chris Heck has made a statement on the prices.
Aston Villa ticket price hike in the Champions League is ‘due to FFP issues’
Villa face their first Champions League home game on October 2nd against Bayern Munich.
Despite the uproar, the general admission tickets for the game have now sold out, with Heck taking the opportunity to address why Villa priced them so high.
The statement read: “We want to thank all our season ticket holders who have recently exercised their right to buy tickets for our first Champions League game vs Bayern Munich and apologise to all those on the season ticket waiting list and to those general fans who were unable to secure seats for the game.
“We recognise and understand the depth of passion felt amongst fans and their recent frustrations around ticket pricing. Achieving our sporting ambitions while complying with financial stability regulations requires difficult decisions.
“Financial fair play rules prohibit owners from covering shortfalls to finance this ambition, so we need to generate as much revenue as possible through sponsorships, merchandise, and ticket sales to ensure that we can keep the club where it rightfully belongs – competing (and winning) at the top of English and European football.
“Additionally, we want to thank our fans for their patience and for their loyal support whilst we do the utmost to grow the club as a business, and ensure we are all doing our part to support our players on the pitch both home and away.
“Our priority will always be to match our collective ambitions while ensuring that we are able to increase stadium capacity each season and provide the best match day experience for our fans. We are committed to ensuring the club’s long-term success both on and off the field.”
Read more: How much Aston Villa will make in the Champions League this season.
Aston Villa shouldn’t punish fans for FFP struggles
While it is clear that the rise in ticket prices will help the club battle FFP, the income it will generate is simply not worth punishing the fanbase.
For many, the prices are simply too high, especially in the current cost of living crisis.
There are many ways for the club to raise funds to help them remain competitive. This could be through the transfer market or progressing further in cup competitions.
Nevertheless, pricing the Champions League tickets so high should of been a last resort option as now fans who dreamed of seeing the Claret and Blue in the competition may still not get the chance.
