Aston Villa Fans Criticize High Prices of Champions League Tickets

Aston Villa fans have been unhappy with the ticket prices that the club has fixed at £97 for home games during the Champions League this season. Some football fans have described the pricing policy as ‘out of touch’, particularly bearing in mind that the rates are much higher than those for the club’s Premier League top-tier, Category A games.

The Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust (AVST) expressed its disappointment after the announcement, pointing out that they had a meeting with the club In the end of last season to discuss the pricing. AVST stressed that the price level should not be higher than that of Category A games in case Villa gets to the Champions League. For the 2024/25 season of the Premier League, Tickets for any home match cost between £55 and £92, but the cheapest ticket for a Champions League match for an adult without a season ticket stands at £85, which is 55% more than the cheapest Category A rate.

Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal, the other English Premier League sides in the competition this season, have set more realistic prices. Liverpool tickets cost between £30 and £61 and Manchester City tickets cost between £37and £62. Arsenal's cheapest ticket is £74 and the most expensive one is £106. However,  it is essential to consider that the Gunners include Champions League home games in their season tickets. Aston Villa's ticket price for home matches in the Champions League is considered high when compared to those of other teams.

 The Football Supporters’ Association expressed their disappointment with Aston Villa’s pricing as “truly eye-watering” and not in line with other English clubs playing in Europe. The sentiment was also shared by the AVST who opined that such high prices may deter fans who have been waiting for 41 years to see their club get back to Europe’s top competition.

 The Union of European Football Associations, the managing body of football competitions across the continent, has set a limit of €60 (approximately £50. 55) that clubs can set for away fans in the Champions League. “Compared to other English club's Champions League tickets this year and indeed UEFA’s own away ticket price cap this is out of touch,” said AVST.

Villa’s Champions League adventure starts on the 17th of September with a match against Young Boys of Switzerland and the second match is at Villa’s home ground against Bayern Munich on October 2. With anticipation for the return of the Champions League football to Villa Park, many fans are hoping that the club will reconsider the decision of Champions League ticket pricing to get the full support of the fans.