UEFA decision on Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid leave fans as mere after-thought of an industry they keep afloat
As ever, Jurgen Klopp struck the right chord in his Friday press conference at the AXA Centre.
The Liverpool boss was asked a question about the club's supporters and just how vital they have been to a season that sees the Reds on the cusp of genuine greatness.
The banner that with tongue in its cheek references how Klopp has "made them skint" since his arrival in 2015 has rarely been more apt in 2022. With a Carabao Cup final in February and an FA Cup semi-final in April both giving supporters a grand day out at Wembley, their finances have been further hit by trips to Lisbon and Villarreal in recent weeks.
And while another jaunt to Wembley awaits for the FA Cup final on Saturday, it is a visit to the French capital of Paris that will be the biggest strain on the disposable income of those who have followed this club the length and breadth of the country and continent during this unforgettable campaign.
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"It's so touching, I can't believe it," the Liverpool boss said before sensing an opportunity to take aim at the paucity of what is on offer for both sets of supporters in Paris later this month.
"Our support has been unbelievable. I cannot be more thankful for our fans. When you see the ticket prices, hotel prices, ticket allocations..You go to book a hotel, and go 'oh my God, are we financing the French for the next few years?'
"Now when you see the ticket prices and all that kind of stuff, the amount of tickets you get... is it right that we only get 20,000, they get 20,000 and there's 75,000 in?" he asked. "That makes 35,000 what?? Where are these tickets (going)?
"The tickets are really expensive and I cannot be more appreciative or more thankful of what the people are doing. Unbelievable. I know it's massive what they ask for, and that's the only bad thing about the journey. I hope they all can make it somehow and can create - of course they will - an incredible atmosphere. It's nice."
Klopp is correct to raise concerns, of course. Once more, it seems as though supporters have been treated as nothing but the after-thought for an industry determined to milk those who sustain it for all they are worth.
Ticket prices for the Champions League final have not been kind on fans
The ticket prices for the Paris showpiece are split into four sections. Category 1, which is the most expensive at £578.63 a ticket, represents 4.6% of the allocation, while Category 2, at £410.91, takes up 16.4%. The final two categories have seen their cost subsidized. Category 3 takes up 55.7% of the allocation at £125.79 a ticket, while Category 4 costs £50.32 and represents 23.3% of the total.
In each category, there are tickets available at a lower price due to the 1,324 restricted view seats within the allocation. Overall, there is no reduction in price for young adults (17-21), over 65s or juniors aged 16 and under.
Getting the party started in Paris, join @Camila_Cabello at the UEFA Champions League final Opening Ceremony, presented by @PepsiGlobal, on 28 May!🎉
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UEFA had initially planned to make 5,000 of the tickets for each finalist free to reward fans for their ongoing support during the coronavirus pandemic.
However, European football's governing body have now agreed to a request made by the four teams who made the semi-finals for the value of those free tickets to instead be used to subsidize the allocation of around 75% of the tickets in the lower two price categories.
Liverpool and Real Madrid will share just 40,000 of a Stade de France that has a capacity of around 80,000. It's a slap in the face for supporters who have earned the right to get their attendance confirmed at the biggest fixture in club football.
The decision from UEFA to dish out half of the capacity outside of the two clubs' fanbases has, unsurprisingly, been panned by Liverpool supporters' union, the Spirit of Shankly.
An open letter to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, released on Friday, read:
"Liverpool FC have reached the Champions League final. Again. In Paris, against Real Madrid. Again. For our fans, it’s another European final jaunt, the climax of the season, the hope of winning again.
"For some fans anyway. For thousands there will be no trip to Paris because there will be a shortage of tickets. Again.
"Stade de France, the venue for the final, holds 75,000. LFC and Madrid, each receive shy of 20,000. In total, loyal supporters will make up just over 52 percent of the capacity crowd.
"A free-for-all public ballot accounts for 12,000 (16 percent), and the remainder of the allocation will be given to the UEFA ‘family’ and mostly corporate sponsors.
"Unfortunately, for some of those lucky enough to get a ticket, the cost will be prohibitive. There are four price categories, ranging from €70 to €690, The majority of tickets are in category 3 and cost €180 each. There are no concessions for over-65s or under-16s. Previously, child-adult packages have been available, but no more.
"Since 2018 when LFC last played RM in the final, UEFA’s ticket revenue has gone from €3.06m to €4.22m, which equates to a 38 percent increase in four years.
"Football, as a spectacle, is beamed across the globe, the faith, joy and despair of fans watching in the stadiums sold and packaged as theatre, as compelling as the drama on the pitch. UEFA depend on this, they know football without fans is nothing.
"In standing up to the failed Super League, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said:
"I can’t understand how you can see your fans protesting and you don’t care. You are full of money anyway, you’re not poor, but you want more and more and more."
They are correct. Football fans, as usual, have been treated with contempt by the governing bodies of the game they keep afloat.