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Champions League final

UEFA only offer 18,000 tickets each to Real Madrid and Atlético

Uefa aim to keep 44,000 tickets for the Champions League final in Milan for their own use. Real Madrid and Atlético are indignant and demanding more
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MadridUpdate:
Las aficiones de Atlético y Real Madrid en la final de Lisboa, hace dos temporadas.
PEPE ANDRÉS

Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are being offered just 18,000 tickets each for the Champions League final in Milan on 28 May. The game is to be held at the San Siro, which has a capacity of 80,000. Meanwhile Uefa plan to keep the remaining 44,000, 55%, of the tickets for their own purposes, including bosses, staff sponsors and other privileged persons.

San Siro
Full screen
San Siro

Uefa had a meeting on Thursday in Milan to explain their ideas to each club, with Emilio Butragueño there representing Real Madrid and Clemente Villaverde for Atlético. The governing organisation explained their idea to take more than half the tickets for themselves, more than they have ever taken before.

Both Madrid clubs have vehemently complained about the decision; each has an extensive fan base, and would easily sell out the 18,000 tickets being offered. The clubs have complained to Spanish FA president Ángel María Villar, who is also currently acting president of Uefa to increase their allotment to at least 30,000 each. And the Spaniard has been making moves in that direction to try and convince fellow Uefa bosses that taking such a huge proportion of the tickets will hurt the organisation’s image.

For the final between the two sides in Lisbon in 2014 each club received 18,000 tickets, but the Estadio da Luz is much smaller than the San Siro, holding 20,000 less fans. Two years ago Uefe took only 24,000 tickets, or 40% of the total.

The last time the Champions League final was played at the San Siro, in 2001, when Bayern beat Valencia on penalties, each side got 23,000 tickets, 5,000 more than Real Madrid and Atlético are being offered this time around.

The two Spanish clubs have sweated blood and tears to get to the final, and they’ll do the same in the corridors of Uefa power to ensure as many of their supporters are there to see them.