Liverpool complain to UEFA and Real Madrid over 1,800 ticket allocation

Liverpool have complained to UEFA and Real Madrid over the 1,800 tickets they have been allocated for their Champions League last-16 second leg tie at the Bernabeu in March.

The Spanish giants have supplied Liverpool with the same number of tickets they controversially gave Chelsea last term, with their ground undergoing significant redevelopment – risking the ire of another British club.

Releasing a statement on their website on Tuesday, Liverpool said that the allocation they had been handed was ‘significantly less than expected’.

‘This allocation is significantly less than expected for this game,’ the club said. 

‘The club has contacted UEFA and Real Madrid regarding the reduced allocation to understand the rationale behind this decision.

‘Spirit of Shankly, the official Supporters Trust, and the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association have also asked the club to raise their concerns and asked to remain in dialogue throughout the process,’ they added.

Liverpool announced they had contacted UEFA and Real Madrid over their Bernabeu allocation

‘LFC is committed to having as many supporters as possible in stadiums for European away fixtures and continues to develop its systems and processes to fill allocations at every away game.

‘The club fully understands the impact this initial decision by Real Madrid has on supporters and the challenges with making travel arrangements for the game.

‘Representatives from LFC are in direct contact with the Supporters Trust and the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association and will continue to explore all options to increase the allocation, particularly for disabled supporters.

The Bernabeu is currently undergoing significant redevelopment with a reduced capacity of 60,000

‘LFC will provide supporters with an update when the ticket allocation has been confirmed.’ 

In a re-run of last season’s Champions League final, won 1-0 by Real Madrid in Paris, Liverpool host the European champions on February 21 before travelling to the Spanish capital three weeks later. 

In 2014, when the sides met at the group stage, Liverpool were handed 3,700 tickets – though the Bernabeu was then at full capacity, with the ground having been significantly reduced to 60,000 while it is redeveloped.

Spirit of Shankly, one of the club’s main supporters’ groups, wrote to Billy Hogan, CEO of Liverpool, urging them to insist on at least 3,000 tickets for travelling supporters – and significantly more bays for wheelchair users. 

Chelsea received the same lowly allocation for their trip to the Spanish capital in April

‘Real Madrid should make in the region of 3,000 tickets available to Liverpool fans, not the three per cent they are currently proposing,’ wrote Spirit of Shankly chair Joe Blott in a letter to Hogan. 

‘There are examples of stadia being redeveloped without an impact on away fans (Anfield and Barcelona) and this should be the case here.

‘Turning to the allocation for wheelchair users, going away in Europe this is never good. Paris and Stade De France exemplified that when we received only 39 bays for UEFA’s showpiece event.

‘Santiago Bernabeu, although under redevelopment, still holds 60,000 supporters. To allocate just four bays, and for them to be in the home sector, to wheelchair users from Liverpool is unacceptable and unjust.’

Real Madrid are facing similar criticism for their move then – with supporters groups urging the two clubs to come to a higher agreement over tickets

European dates have long been marked by low allocations – with UEFA’s showpiece finals in the Europa League and Champions League, often criticised for the paltry amount of tickets offered to supporters themselves. 

Though UEFA will have had no part to play in Real Madrid’s decision to offer just 1,800, there own rules stipulate that: ‘The visiting association or club must be allocated five per cent of the total stadium capacity for their supporters in a dedicated sector of the stadium.’

This would amount to 3,000 tickets.