Discontent Among Fan Clubs Over Ticket Prices for PSG Match

Albert Yarza, president of the Penya Almogàvers fan club of FC Barcelona, has expressed dissatisfaction with the high prices that Barcelona members have to pay to watch the Champions League match against PSG live. The match will take place at Montjuïc on April 16. Speaking on the program “El 10 del Barça,” hosted by Miguel Ángel Ruiz, Yarza commented that the price “is exorbitant.” “The cheapest ticket currently costs 230 euros. There were some cheaper ones, around 174 or so, but they sold out very quickly. It’s an exorbitant price,” stated the president of the Penya Almogàvers, one of the four groups that support the team from the stands and will celebrate its 35th anniversary next season. Yarza recalled that “on the day of the Napoli match, members had between a 30 and 50% discount, but for this match, members only have a 5% discount. The complaint goes in two directions: the small discount given to members and the prices, which are outrageous.”

“Who can afford that for a football match?” The president of this historic fan group wondered, “Who can afford that for a football match?” And he emphasized that “the problem is not the price set by Barça, the problem is global in scope. Why are prices set so high? I am clear about it: it’s a way to make money. Barça takes advantage of it, like other European clubs, but it’s a mistake. From Penya Almogàvers, we alert that football is not sustainable on its own, unless Arab sheikhs or state-owned teams invest.”

“It encourages occasional customers,” According to Yarza, “the problem is that it encourages occasional customers. Those who attend just one match. People who spend 300 euros on a single match (jersey and ticket). But it’s a mistake. It can’t be that the majority at Montjuïc are occasional customers. The club has a duty to ensure that the players feel like they’re playing at home. If tourism outweighs the local audience, it will be harder for the players.”

The president of the Penya Almogàvers also stated, in comments to “El 10 del Barça,” that “members should be able to come for a reasonable price. 230 euros is an exorbitant price. Going with two or three people (on the side or goal) is no longer affordable for many… Let alone going to the stands, which costs 450 euros against PSG… Someone hasn’t measured the prices well for members. But it’s not a criticism of Barça, I insist, it’s a criticism of the current way of doing things globally.”