Aston Villa have defended the cost of Champions League tickets after general admission for the club’s home opener against Bayern Munich sold out on Monday.
Villa Park will host European football’s premier club competition for the first time in 42 years on October 2 with the visit of six-time winners Bayern.
The cheapest prices for adult season ticket holders start at £70 and go up to £82, while non-season ticket holders will have to pay between £85 and £97 for entry.
Villa previously stated that growing costs have owed to the club needing to avoid profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) breaches, with increasing matchday revenue viewed as a key solution, and reiterated this stance on Monday.
Villa’s president of business operations Chris Heck said in a statement: “We recognise and understand the depth of passion felt amongst fans and their recent frustration 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.”
He added: “We want to thank our fans for their patience and for their loyal support whilst we do our 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.”
24-25 CL ticket prices for English clubs
| Team | Adult home ticket price range (£) |
|---|---|
|
74.30 – 106.80* |
|
|
70 – 97 |
|
|
30 – 61 |
|
|
37.50 – 62.50 |
*Arsenal Champions League home tickets included in the club’s season ticket price.
Last week the club drew criticism from supporters for refusing a request from their fan advisory board, Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust (AVST), to cap the price of tickets for season ticket holders.
“Loyal Villa fans who’ve waited as long as 40 years to celebrate this momentous season are being punished and exploited,” said an AVST statement.
“The trust fears the club will alienate fans with these prices and urges the club to rethink ahead of the first home match against Bayern Munich in October.”
Villa have four home games in the league phase of this season’s 36-team competition, starting against Bayern before hosting Bologna on October 22, Juventus on November 27, and Celtic on January 29.
(Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
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