FC Barcelona Fan Uproar Over Extortionate PSG Champions League Tickets
FC Barcelona is facing uproar over the price of its tickets for the Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Paris Saint-Germain on April 16.
The Blaugrana guaranteed qualification to the last eight for the first time in four years after beating Napoli 3-1 at the Montjuic Stadium a week ago.
Such a scoreline secured a 4-2 aggregate win, and had Culers dreaming about possibly reaching the final.
Granted beating PSG won’t be easy, with Xavi Hernandez describing them as one of the “worst” opponents his team could be drawn again, but the fact that Barca could then meet Atletico Madrid – if they beat Borussia Dortmund – in the semifinals after trouncing Diego Simeone’s side 3-0 at the weekend has contributed to an increased sense of optimism around the club.
From a matchgoing punter’s perspective, however, that took a dint when tickets for the quarterfinal second leg went on sale for members this week.
While socios could take advantage of discounts up to 50% to gain access to the Napoli clash, members will only receive 5% off what have been called extortionately-priced tickets for PSG.
As things stand, the cheapest ticket to see Barca in action against the Ligue 1 holders, and perhaps catch Kylian Mbappe in one of his last Champions League matches for them, is $250 (€230).
Speaking on the ‘El 10 Del Barca’ program, the president of a local supporters club, the Penya Almogavers, described this as ‘exorbitant’.
“The price of tickets for the PSG match has skyrocketed. The cheapest ticket costs €230. There were some cheaper ones, at €174 or so, but they sold out very quickly. It’s an exorbitant price,” said Albert Yarza.
“On the day of Napoli, members had between 30 and 50% discount, but for this match members only have a 5% discount. The complaint goes in two directions: the little discount that is made for the member and the prices, which are outrageous,” Yarza added.
“Who can pay that for a football match?” he asked. “The problem is not the price that Barca sets – the problem is global. But why are prices so expensive? It’s clear to me: it’s a way to make money. Barca takes advantage of it, like other European clubs, but it’s a mistake. From Penya Almogavers we warn that football is not sustainable on its own, unless Arab sheikhs or state-teams invest in it”.
Yarza said the problem “is that the occasional customer is encouraged. The one who goes only one game. People who spend €300 at a match”, on a shirt and ticket.
“But that’s a mistake,” Yazra insisted. “It can’t be that the majority of people in Montjuic are occasional customers. The club has a duty to ensure that the players have the feeling of playing at home. If tourism wins over the home crowd, it will cost the players more.”
As of yet, Barca is not to remark on the price of its tickets. At Real Madrid, entry to the first leg of a last eight first leg clash with English champions and UCL holders Manchester City in the same competition are no more affordable.
