Fan frustration over “poor” ticket allocation for the Europa League final

UEFA has been criticized by a fan group over the “meager” ticket quota of 12,000 per team for the Europa League final in Dublin.

The game will take place on May 22 at the Aviva Stadium in the Irish capital, where the capacity is 48,000 spectators.

European football's governing body confirmed on Tuesday that each of the finalists will receive 12,000 tickets, with a further 12,000 being offered for sale directly to fans worldwide via UEFA's ticket portal.

The game could be an all-English clash with Liverpool and West Ham United – who play their quarter-final first legs on Thursday – on opposite sides of the draw.

A statement from Football Supporters Europe said: “Football Supporters Europe (FSE) shares its serious concern that finalist allocations for the 2024 Europa League Final in Dublin will only reach 50% of the stadium's total capacity on that day.”

“In addition, FSE calls on Uefa and local organizers to do justice to fans and increase these allocations.”

“A paltry 50% capacity for Europa League finalists is simply not good enough and falls far short of the FSE’s requirement that at least 66% of tickets for all European finals be made available to fans of the teams involved.”

“Based on previous experience, a higher allocation of tickets for general sales will significantly boost ticket activity on the black market, taking advantage of fan loyalty.”

The tickets allocated to fans of the finalists are the cheapest on offer at 40 euros (just over £34) each, with general sale tickets starting at 65 euros (£55.70) each.

In response to the FSE's statement, Uefa said: “After extensive discussions with the local authorities about logistical operations as well as the designated access routes to the ends of the stadium occupied by fans of each finalist, it was decided that…” Two clubs that reach the final can receive a maximum of 12,000 tickets each.