Rangers fans will travel from every corner of the globe to Seville for their team’s Europa League Final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
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.
One, why is a 40,000-capacity arena such as the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan being chosen for one of Europe’s showpiece games?
And, two, 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 the Germans 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.
In fairness, you can see their point.
Liverpool have been allocated just 20,000 tickets for this month’s showpiece against the Spanaiards, despite the Stade de France boasting a capacity of around 75,000.
Pricing is another issue with supporters 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 their allocation priced at £410 or higher, and the majority £150 or more.
UEFA president Aleksandr Ceferin has suggested that 4000 of the tickets each given to Rangers and Eintracht as freebies is a way of saying thank you to supporters for following their teams in Europe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
But Klopp nailed it when he hit out at UEFA’s greedy pricing and allocation of tickets for his team’s game in Paris.
He said: “When you see the ticket prices and the amount of tickets you get, is it right? Is it right we only get 20,000, Real get 20,000 and there’s 75,000 in? That makes 35,000. What?? Where are these tickets?
“It’s about money. UEFA is not the saints of football, they never were. Nobody cares. That’s the world we are living in.
“We can all say, these are the bad guys, these are the bad guys. Opportunity makes bad guys.
“In this case, UEFA has one of the biggest games ever and they will not gift the tickets like this. That’s the world we are living in.
“It is absolutely not right. In this specific case you are not only paying more than last time for a ticket but you only get 50 per cent of the tickets and the rest goes to people who pay thousands and thousands for the tickets. that’s how all the money is made.”
At least the 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, although God knows what the prices will end up for the ones that inevitably fall into the hands of touts desperate to take advantage of a true fan's loyalty by fleecing them out of a lot more.
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 certainly does to those involved. Klopp’s right, it will be about money. But capacity and seats is the biggest issue.
Football is about supporters. Any chance you could let more of the genuine ones in?
