Manchester City fans are facing huge travel costs to get to next month’s Champions League final.
Flights and hotels are already booked up, prices are skyrocketing and many supporters are having to shell out up to £3,000 each for even a modest trip to Istanbul on June 10.
UEFA have given City and Inter Milan 20,000 tickets each to give to fans and a further 7,200 will go on sale to supporters via the governing body’s official website. Tickets will cost from £60 up to £600 for the best seats.
The Ataturk Olympic Stadium holds 72,000 and UEFA say the remaining tickets will go to the local organising committee, UEFA member associations, commercial partners and broadcasters.
But the biggest cost is travel because flights from Manchester to Istanbul were already up to as much as £1,000 before City reached the final and hotels are going for in excess of £500-a-night each. With the price of match tickets and other costs, fans will be faced with a huge travel bill as Pep Guardiola’s men look to complete the Treble.
UEFA are very confident that because of the size of Istanbul, the infrastructure and size of the state-of-the-art airport that the city will be able to cope. They have consistently denied any suggestion the final could be moved and are satisfied Istanbul will stage a successful event. The scramble is already on for travel and tickets as it is down to the clubs to allocate the tickets.
Are you going to the Champions League final? Let us know in the comments below!
Parachute payments row
The parachute payment issue remains a big sticking point in negotiations over a deal between the Premier League and the EFL.
EFL bosses want parachute payments scrapped as they ask for a bigger share of revenue from top flight clubs. They also insist it gives relegated clubs an unfair advantage over the rest of the Championship.
The Premier League believes parachute payments - worth around £30m-a-year to clubs - help teams be more competitive after promotion. But new figures suggest that the percentage of clubs promoted within three seasons of relegation is actually LOWER in the Premier League than other European leagues.
In the last 15 years, 42 percent of clubs went back up to the Premier League within three years and 53 per cent in the last five years.
But in the last five years, 60 per cent went back up into the Championship after being relegated from League One. While it was 53 per cent in both La Liga and Serie A. It was 36 and 45 per cent in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 respectively.
Prem clubs may feel that the whole of Europe is broadly similar, parachute payments do not have a negative impact and can highlight that the highest figure of clubs being promoted within three years of relegation is actually already within the EFL.
Arsenal's new artwork
Arsenal have done some amazing work behind the scenes this season to improve the atmosphere at the Emirates.
The football has undoubtedly helped but so has ingenious ideas like the stadium artwork and fans received an email this week to inform them that the remaining pieces will be going up “imminently.”
BT Sport shake-up
BT Sport are planning further shake-ups to their programming for next season as they will be rebranded as TNT Sports.
They have already confirmed that their highly entertaining Saturday Score show will be scrapped but have yet to announce what will replace it - they want live sport - and what will happen to the presenters and panel. But they are also looking to shake-up other areas, including their Champions League coverage which could mean a further revamp.
Their coverage of the National League has been excellent - the play-off final between Notts County and Chesterfield was brilliant - including the commentary double act of Adam Summerton and Adam Virgo. Summerton surely has a big future.
PFA's new initiative
The Professional Footballers’ Association has launched a new business school to help players for life after their playing careers. It will feature subjects such as business management, leadership, data, analysis and work in the media and communication. It may help former players get more jobs at boardroom and executive level.
PFA chief executive Maheta Molango said: “We strongly believe football people should hold football jobs, with players occupying key positions that shape the sport’s future.”
