Aston Villa have defended their Champions League ticket pricing amid criticism from supporters, stating that they must make “difficult decisions” to remain competitive.
The club faced backlash after announcing ticket prices for home Champions League matches this season, which range up to £97. For their four home games in the new 36-team league format, adult tickets are priced at £85, £94, and £97, while season-ticket holders benefit from discounted rates of £70, £79, and £82.
Aston Villa will host Bayern Munich, Bologna, Juventus, and Celtic as they return to Europe’s top club competition for the first time in 41 years.
The Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust (AVST) criticized the pricing, but Chris Heck, President of Business Operations, has explained the rationale behind the high costs.
He said: “We recognise and understand the depth of passion felt amongst fans and their recent frustration around ticket pricing. Achieving our sporting ambitions while complying with financial stability regulations requires difficult decisions.
“Financial fair play (FFP) rules prohibit owners from covering shortfalls to finance this ambition, so we need to generate as much revenue as possible through sponsorships, merchandise and ticket sales to ensure that we can keep the club where it rightfully belongs – competing and winning at the top of English and European football.
“Our priority will always be to match our collective ambition while ensuring that we are able to increase stadium capacity each season and provide the best matchday experience for all our fans.”
Aston Villa will begin their Champions League campaign with an away match against Swiss club Young Boys on September 17. They will also travel to Club Bruges, RB Leipzig, and Monaco for their group-stage fixtures.
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) has also criticized the ticket prices, expressing concern that fans’ loyalty is being exploited.
“During Covid there was a lot of talk about ‘football without fans is nothing’. That sentiment seems to have disappeared pretty quickly in that it seems football fans are there to be wrung dry,” said FSA spokesperson Michael Brunskill.
“There’s a big message for clubs who are squeezing fans generally and trying to monetise everything – just step back and stop exploiting that supporter loyalty.
“Just because you could doesn’t mean you should. We would like clubs to respect the loyalty of supporters. If your club tries to exploit you, how does that make you feel? Clubs need to think about the long game.”