Aston Villa spark outrage with Champions League ticket prices

Aston Villa fans have called the club “out of touch” for charging up to £97 a ticket for home Champions League matches this season.

Villa announced on Wednesday that adult tickets for their four home matches in the newly reformated Champions League group stage will be priced at £85, £94 and £97. Season ticket-holders will get discounted prices  of £70, £79 and £82 respectively.

“For the club to announce Champions League ticket prices well above this season’s category A is extremely disappointing,” Aston Villa Supporters Trust said. “Loyal Villa fans who’ve waited as long as 40 years to celebrate this momentous season are being punished and exploited at the expense of the club’s compliance to PSR, ESR and publicly known revenue generation targets.

“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.”

Aston Villa’s price announcement drew criticism from Villa fans on social media and messages of support from fans of other clubs have been rolling in.

Aston Villa fans are literally being sold down the river on these CL prices. #AVFC pic.twitter.com/GDTW100fGB

— My Old Man Said (@myoldmansaid) September 4, 2024

The news followed on from UEFA who, earlier this week, announced that the price of away tickets in the Champions League would be coming down.

Existing price caps, introduced to the Champions League and Europa League back in 2019, will be reduced from €70 and €45 to €50 and €35 respectively further highlighting how expensive home tickets at Villa Park will be.

What does the FSA think?

We’ve had successive summers of ticket price hikes across the Premier League and beyond – a trend that is forcing many fans to seriously consider giving up going to the match in its entirety.

For the long-term good of the game and matchgoing tradition we believe clubs must cherish and reward loyalty, but it feels like those at the top are only interested in exploiting our loyalty – Villa’s pricing for the Champions League being the latest example.

This simply can’t continue.