"When compared to other English clubs in the Champions League this year, and indeed Uefa's own away ticket price cap, today's announcement is out of touch. Loyal Villa fans who've waited as long as 40 years to celebrate this momentous season are being punished and exploited"

AVST

Aston Villa fans have called the club "out of touch" for charging up to £97 a ticket for home Champions League matches this season.

Villa announced on Wednesday that adult tickets for their four home matches in the new 36-team league format will be priced at £85, £94 and £97.

Season ticket-holders will get discounted rates of £70, £79 and £82 respectively.

The Premier League side will host Bayern Munich, Bologna, Juventus and Celtic at Villa Park in their return to Europe's top club competition for the first time in 41 years.

Aston Villa Supporters' Trust (AVST) said it met with the club towards the end of the last season to discuss potential Champions League ticket prices.

AVST said it "made clear pricing should be no higher than that of a Category A game" if Villa qualified, which they did by finishing fourth in the Premier League.

Villa's top Category A ticket price for the 2024-25 Premier League season is £92, while the cheapest in that tier is £55.

The equivalent of that £55 ticket for a Champions League home game at Villa Park for an adult without a season ticket and any concession will be £85 - an increase of 55%.

"For the club to announce Champions League ticket prices well above this season's category A is extremely disappointing," added AVST.

The Football Supporters' Association called Villa's ticket prices "truly eye-watering".

Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are the other three Premier League sides competing in the Champions League this year.

Liverpool's adult home ticket prices range from £30 to £61, Manchester City's from £37.50 to £62.50 and Arsenal's from £74.30 to £106.80, though the Gunners include Champions League home tickets in their season ticket price. Villa's equivalent range is £70 to £97.

European football governing body Uefa has capped the amount clubs can charge for away tickets in the Champions League at 60 euros (£50.55).

"When compared to other English clubs in the Champions League this year, and indeed Uefa's own away ticket price cap, today's announcement is out of touch," added AVST.

"Loyal Villa fans who've waited as long as 40 years to celebrate this momentous season are being punished and exploited.

"The trust fears the club will alienate fans with these prices and urges the club to rethink ahead of the first home match against Bayern Munich in October."

Villa begin their Champions League campaign away at Swiss side Young Boys on 17 September before hosting Bayern Munich, who they beat in the 1982 European Cup final, on 2 October.

Original article published 04.09.2024 on the BBC Sport website.

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