Villa criticized for being ‘out of touch’ with Champions League ticket prices
Aston Villa fans have labeled the club as “out of touch” for pricing home Champions League tickets as high as £97 each for the upcoming season.
On Wednesday, Villa revealed that adult tickets for their four home matches in the newly expanded 36-team Champions League format will range from £85 to £97. Season ticket holders will benefit from discounted prices of £70, £79, and £82.
The Premier League team is set to face Bayern Munich, Bologna, Juventus, and Celtic at Villa Park, marking their first return to Europe’s top competition in 41 years.
The Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust (AVST) mentioned that they had discussions with the club at the end of last season regarding potential Champions League ticket pricing. During those talks, AVST emphasized that ticket prices should not exceed those of Category A Premier League matches if Villa qualified, which they did by securing a fourth-place finish.
For the 2024-25 Premier League season, Villa’s top Category A tickets are priced at £92, with the cheapest in that category costing £55. In comparison, the lowest-priced ticket for an adult without a season ticket or concession for a Champions League match will be £85—a 55% increase from the equivalent Premier League ticket.
AVST expressed their disappointment, stating, “For the club to announce Champions League ticket prices well above this season’s Category A is extremely disappointing.” The Football Supporters’ Association also criticized Villa’s pricing, calling the ticket costs “truly eye-watering.
At Liverpool, adult home ticket prices range from £30 to £61, while Manchester City’s prices are between £37.50 and £62.50. Arsenal’s prices fall between £74.30 and £106.80, although their season ticket holders receive Champions League home tickets as part of their package. In comparison, Villa’s prices range from £70 to £97.
UEFA, the governing body of European football, has set a maximum charge of 60 euros (£50.55) for away tickets in the Champions League.
Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust (AVST) voiced their frustration, stating, “When you compare Villa’s prices to those of other English clubs in the Champions League this year, and even UEFA’s own cap on away ticket prices, today’s announcement is out of touch.”
AVST added that loyal Villa fans, who have waited up to 40 years for the club’s return to Europe’s top competition, are being “punished and exploited” by these prices. The trust expressed concern that the club risks alienating its fanbase and urged Villa to reconsider the pricing before the first home game against Bayern Munich in October.
Villa’s Champions League campaign kicks off away at Swiss side Young Boys on 17 September, followed by their first home fixture against Bayern Munich, the team they famously defeated in the 1982 European Cup final, on 2 October.