ManU's ticket row with La Liga side Sevilla "escalated" when it emerged that the EPL club will charge supporters of Sevilla an "inflated" £89 ($120.22) to attend the Champions League match at Old Trafford in March, according to James Ducker of the London TELEGRAPH. ManU plans to use the extra proceeds to help refund its own fans after "reacting angrily" to Sevilla's decision to charge ManU's traveling supporters £89 to watch the first leg on Feb. 21. ManU execs "held talks with their Sevilla counterparts" in which they requested that the "unfair" and "excessive" ticket prices be reduced after "complaints by supporters." But Sevilla "refused to bow" to ManU's wishes and the EPL club reacted by "dramatically increasing" its own ticket prices (
TELEGRAPH, 1/10). The BBC's Simon Stone reported Sevilla is not breaching UEFA rules and is charging its own fans more. ManU said that it made the decision as "a deterrent to future opponents who look to increase ticket prices for our travelling supporters." ManU fans will be refunded £35 ($47.28) before their trip to Sevilla, "with any additional money donated to the Manchester United Foundation" (
BBC, 1/10).
SEVILLA CONTACTS UEFA: In London, Paul Hirst wrote Sevilla reported ManU to UEFA after it was "not given the number of tickets" it is entitled to for next month’s Champions League match at Old Trafford. The Spanish club only received 2,995 tickets rather than the 3,800 that it is allowed under UEFA's rules, which state 5% of seats "should go to away fans." ManU said that it would "have to move part of the away support to the top of the East Stand, which police have advised against," if it allowed 3,800 Sevilla fans into the stadium (LONDON TIMES, 1/10).
