Shortly after 6pm CET on Tuesday Anderlecht were charged with infringing Article 19 (3) of Uefa’s safety and security regulations. Not the sexiest intro, admittedly, but the charge against the Belgian champions offers hope for fans being fleeced at European away games year after year. Anger, however, remains the prevailing mood over a ticketing system open to abuse.
Uefa opened proceedings against Anderlecht after the club charged Bayern Munich supporters €100 to attend a Champions League group game in November. Many Bayern fans boycotted despite tickets eventually being reduced to €70 thanks to subsidies from their own club. As at Arsenal two years earlier, when Bayern’s away support was charged €100 to watch a group game, it was time to make a stand.
Related: Manchester United hit back at Sevilla by charging away fans £89 for tickets
The rule to prevent clubs over-charging away fans may be well-intentioned but its loopholes are being exposed
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